Stimulant Patterns, Alone or with Other Psychotropic Classes, in Medicaid-Insured Youth Continuously Enrolled for 3-8 Years.

Little U.S. pharmacoepidemiologic study is based on treatment during continuous enrollment for periods more than a year.

Patient-Reported Safety Events in Chronic Kidney Disease Recorded With an Interactive Voice-Inquiry Dial-Response System: Monthly Report Analysis.

Background: Monitoring patient-reported outcomes (PROs) may improve safety of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

Objective: Evaluate the performance of an interactive voice-inquiry dial-response system (IVRDS) in detecting CKD-pertinent adverse safety events outside of the clinical environment and compare the incidence of events using the IVDRS to that detected by paper diary.

Methods: This was a 6-month study of Stage III-V CKD patients in the Safe Kidney Care (SKC) study.

ReCAP: Impact of Multidisciplinary Care on Processes of Cancer Care: A Multi-Institutional Study.

Purpose: The role of multidisciplinary care (MDC) on cancer care processes is not fully understood. We investigated the impact of MDC on the processes of care at cancer centers within the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP).

Methods: The study used data from patients diagnosed with stage IIB to III rectal cancer, stage III colon cancer, and stage III non–small-cell lung cancer at 14 NCCCP cancer centers from 2007 to 2012.

Population-based estimates of survival benefit associated with combined modality therapy in elderly patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Combined modality therapy (CMT; radiation and chemotherapy) is indicated for fit, elderly patients with inoperable, locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. We used population level data to examine effects of CMT on survival.

Methods: Medicare patients who are 66 years or older with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (stages IIIA and IIIB without pleural effusion) from 1997 to 2002 were identified in Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare.

A three-country comparison of psychotropic medication prevalence in youth.

Background: The study aims to compare cross-national prevalence of psychotropic medication use in youth.

Methods: A population-based analysis of psychotropic medication use based on administrative claims data for the year 2000 was undertaken for insured enrollees from 3 countries in relation to age group (0-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19), gender, drug subclass pattern and concomitant use. The data include insured youth aged 0-19 in the year 2000 from the Netherlands (n = 110,944), Germany (n = 356,520) and the United States (n = 127,157).

Psychotropic medication patterns among youth in foster care.

Context: Studies have revealed that youth in foster care covered by Medicaid insurance receive psychotropic medication at a rate > 3 times that of Medicaid-insured youth who qualify by low family income. Systematic data on patterns of medication treatment, particularly concomitant drugs, for youth in foster care are limited.

Objective: The purpose of this work was to describe and quantify patterns of psychotropic monotherapy and concomitant therapy prescribed to a randomly selected, 1-month sample of youth in foster care who had been receiving psychotropic medication.

Psychotherapeutic medication prevalence in Medicaid-insured preschoolers.

Objective: To update knowledge of the prevalence of the use of psychotherapeutic medications in preschoolers with Medicaid insurance as requested by the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act of 2002 (BPCA).

Method: Prescription, enrollment, and outpatient visit data from 7 state Medicaid programs were used to identify 274,518 youths continuously enrolled in 2001 and aged 2 to 4 on January 1, 2001. Annual prevalence of use was defined as one or more dispensed prescriptions for a psychotherapeutic medication and adjusted for anticonvulsant and anxiolytic/sedative/hypnotic use according to ICD-9 diagnostic groupings.

Antidepressant prevalence for youths: a multi-national comparison.

Objective: To compare antidepressant prevalence data in youths across three western European countries (Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands) with US regional data in terms of age and gender and to show proportional subclass antidepressant (ATD) use.

Method: A population-based analysis of administrative claims data for the year 2000 was undertaken in 0 to 19-year-old enrollees who were part of the insured populations from four countries having a total of from 72,570 to 480,680 members.

Results: ATD medication utilization in the US dataset (1.

Anticonvulsant treatment for psychiatric and seizure indications among youths.

Objective: This study compared the prevalence of anticonvulsant treatment for youths with a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder to youths with a diagnosis of a seizure disorder.

Methods: Administrative claims from outpatient visits and prescriptions were organized for a data set of 258,472 youths who were younger than 18 years of age in a mid-Atlantic state Medicaid program and were continuously enrolled in 2000. Youths dispensed an anticonvulsant were grouped into the following ICD-9 diagnostic categories: a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder without a seizure disorder, a diagnosis of a seizure disorder without a psychiatric disorder, and a diagnosis of both a psychiatric and a seizure disorder.

Attainment of personal outcomes by people with developmental disabilities.

In 1993, The Council on Quality and Leadership in Supports for People With Disabilities (The Council) developed a person-centered outcome assessment instrument, Personal Outcome Measures (1997). The Council has maintained a database (N = 3,630) of Personal Outcome Measures interviews conducted during accreditation reviews. Our purpose in this article is to report findings on (a) the relationships between and among the Personal Outcome Measures (The Council, 1997) and patterns of individual outcome attainment and (b) to examine the impact of characteristic variables (disability, organizational size, residential type, or source of program funding) on the individual attainment of personal outcomes.

Multiple psychotropic medication use for youths: a two-state comparison.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare multiple psychotropic use among youths enrolled in two U.S. mid-Atlantic state Medicaid and state Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP).

Effect of Medicaid eligibility category on racial disparities in the use of psychotropic medications among youths.

Objective: This study sought to determine the degree to which Medicaid eligibility categories modify disparities between black and white youths in the prevalence of psychotropic medication.

Methods: Computerized claims for 189,486 youths aged two to 19 years who were continuously enrolled in a mid-Atlantic state Medicaid program for the year 2000 were analyzed to determine population-based annual prevalence of psychotropic medication by race or ethnicity and by whether the youths were eligible for Medicaid for reasons of family income, disability, or foster care placement. Logistic regression was used to assess the interaction of eligibility category and race.

Comparative prevalence of psychotropic medications among youths enrolled in the SCHIP and privately insured youths.

The one-year prevalence of use of psychotropic medications among youths enrolled in a Mid-Atlantic State Children's Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 1999 or 2000 was compared with the 1998-2000 prevalence findings for youths enrolled in four large multistate private medical insurance programs. Prevalence was significantly higher among youths enrolled in the SCHIP than among those with private insurance in all eight medication group comparisons. Unlike private insurance, the surveyed state SCHIP program did not require a copayment or have a restrictive formulary.

Psychotropic practice patterns for youth: a 10-year perspective.

Objective: To examine changes in the full spectrum of psychotropic medication treatment for youths from 1987 to 1996.

Methods: A population-based analysis of community treatment data on nearly 900,000 youths enrolled in 2 US health care systems included (1) computerized Medicaid data from 2 states (a midwestern state and a mid-Atlantic state) composed of outpatient prescription claims and enrollment records and (2) computerized prescription dispensing records from a group-model health maintenance organization. Ten 1-year cross-sectional data sets from 1987 through 1996 were analyzed.

Rising prevalence of antidepressants among US youths.

Objective: To examine changes in antidepressant (ATD) prevalence and the sociodemographic and clinical correlates of ATD use among youths who are treated in community practice settings.

Methods: A retrospective study was undertaken using large data sets from 3 US sites. Outpatient prescription and clinical service records of youths who were aged 2 to 19 and enrolled in Midwestern Medicaid (MWM) and mid-Atlantic Medicaid (MAM) state programs and a group-model health maintenance organization (HMO) were organized into seven 1-year cross-sectional data sets from 1988 through 1994 to evaluate ATD utilization patterns.

Resource utilization for patients undergoing hysterectomy with or without lymph node dissection for endometrial cancer.

Objective: The objective was to study the association of age, comorbid illness, race, and type of hospital with resource use in patients undergoing hysterectomy and lymph node dissection for endometrial cancer.

Methods: The study was a population-based analysis of patients undergoing hysterectomy with a diagnosis of endometrial cancer in Maryland 1994-1996. Chi-square and t tests determined differences in means or proportions.

Effect of center- versus patient-specific factors on variations in dialysis adequacy.

Efforts to improve the delivery of hemodialysis have focused mostly on identifying patient-related factors that lead to inadequate dialysis. Less consideration has been given to the impact of the dialysis center on adequacy. This study evaluated whether the dialysis facility or individual-level factors were the primary influence on variations in dialysis adequacy.