Effect of Potentially Inappropriate Use of Antimuscarinic Medications on Healthcare Use and Cost in Individuals with Overactive Bladder.

Objectives: To examine potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in older adults initiating an antimuscarinic medication for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB).

Design: Retrospective database analysis.

Setting: Medical and pharmacy claims data.

Evaluation of the treatment gap between clinical guidelines and the utilization of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors.

Objectives: This study examined renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitor dose levels in a US patient population and investigated the impact of hyperkalemia on RAAS inhibitor dose and the association between dose levels and clinical outcomes.

Study Design: De-identified medical records from a large database of electronic health records (Humedica) for patients 5 years of age or older with at least 2 serum potassium readings were analyzed (N = 205,108 patients; 1.7 million records).

Clinical and cost efficacy of advanced wound care matrices for venous ulcers.

Background: In the United States, venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are commonly associated with substantial disability, impaired quality of life, and high economic costs. Compression therapy, which has remained the standard care for VLUs over several decades, is often insufficient to heal VLUs in a timely manner. VLU-related treatment costs are directly related to time to achieve complete wound closure.

Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder vs depression have comparable health care costs: a retrospective claims analysis of Florida Medicaid enrollees.

Background: The health care burden of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is relatively unknown.

Objective: To compare the health care burden of patients with OCD vs depression.

Methods: This retrospective claims analysis compared the 2-year median per-patient health care claims and costs for Florida Medicaid adult enrollees (1997 to 2006) newly diagnosed with "pure OCD" (P-OCD; OCD without comorbid major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, organic mental disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, nonpsychotic brain damage, developmental delay, or mental retardation) with matched patients newly diagnosed with "pure depression" (P-D; similar to P-OCD but excluding OCD instead of depression).

Adequacy of pharmacotherapy among medicaid-enrolled patients newly diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Objective: To determine the adequacy of pharmacotherapy received by patients with newly-diagnosed obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), based on current practice guidelines.

Methods: A 9 year (1997-2006) retrospective claims analysis of adults enrolled in Florida Medicaid for at least 3 continuous years was conducted to determine the percentage who received both a minimally effective duration (> 8 continuous weeks) and dose of first-line OCD pharmacotherapy during the year following their first ("index") OCD diagnosis.

Results: Among 2,960,421 adult (> 18 years of age) enrollees, 2,921 (0.