Work productivity loss among adults aged 18-64 years with Multiple Sclerosis in the United States: A propensity score matched study.

Background: Scarce data exists regarding United States (US) national-level work productivity loss among adults with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Objective: To address this significant knowledge gap, we examined the national-level productivity loss among adults (18≤ age ≤64 years) with MS compared to propensity score matched non-MS controls.

Methods: We adopted a retrospective, cross-sectional, matched cohort study design with pooled data from alternate years (2005/2007/2009/2011/2013/2015) of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).

Influence of Comorbidities on Healthcare Expenditures and Perceived Physical and Mental Health Status Among Adults with Multiple Sclerosis: A Propensity Score-Matched US National-Level Study.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of comorbidities on healthcare expenditures and perceived physical and mental health status among adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to propensity score-matched non-MS controls.

Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional, matched cohort study was conducted using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2005-2015) data. The base study sample consisted of adults (age ≥18 years) who were alive and had positive total healthcare expenditures during the survey calendar year.

Quality of life among injectable and oral disease-modifying therapy users in the Pacific Northwest Multiple Sclerosis Registry.

Background: Nine oral disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have been approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States. Few studies have examined self-reported quality of life (QoL) and functional status outcomes among patients who switch to oral medications from injectable MS therapies. This study compares self-reported QoL and disability status between participants switching from injectable to oral DMTs, to those who stay on injectable DMTs continuously for the same time period.

Quality of Life Improves with Alemtuzumab Over 6 Years in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Patients with or without Autoimmune Thyroid Adverse Events: Post Hoc Analysis of the CARE-MS Studies.

Introduction: In clinical trials of alemtuzumab, autoimmune thyroid adverse events (AEs) were frequent. Here, we assess the impact of thyroid AEs on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in alemtuzumab-treated patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Methods: In phase 3 CARE-MS I (NCT00530348) and II (NCT00548405) trials, patients with RRMS were administered alemtuzumab 12 mg/day on 5 consecutive days at baseline and on 3 consecutive days 12 months later.

Multiple sclerosis in a multi-ethnic population from Northern California: a retrospective analysis, 2010-2016.

Background: Research is needed to examine differences in multiple sclerosis (MS) prevalence by race-ethnicity. The goal of this study was to quantify MS prevalence in a health care system in Northern California and examine differences in prevalence and phenotype by race-ethnicity.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study of adults (2010-2016).

Cost-Effectiveness of Alemtuzumab in the Treatment of Relapsing Forms of Multiple Sclerosis in the United States.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of alemtuzumab compared with fingolimod, natalizumab, ocrelizumab, and generic glatiramer acetate 20 mg among patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) in the United States.

Study Design: Markov model with annual periods from payer perspective.

Methods: The modeled population represented pooled patients from the CARE-MS I and II trials.

Treatment Patterns, Healthcare Resource Utilization, and Costs Among Medicare Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Relation to Disease-Modifying Therapy and Corticosteroid Treatment.

Introduction: Despite the increasing age of the multiple sclerosis (MS) patient population, data are lacking on MS patients in later life. This retrospective study investigated treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and healthcare costs (HCCs) for patients enrolled in Medicare, in relation to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) and corticosteroid treatment as a marker for relapse.

Methods: Medical and pharmacy claims between January 1, 2010 and July 31, 2015 identified MS patients.

A randomized trial of individual peer support for adults with psychiatric disabilities undergoing civil commitment.

Objective: Given the proliferation of peer-delivered services and its growing but insufficient empirical base, we undertook a randomized trial to examine the effects of such services on individuals with severe psychiatric disabilities undergoing a civil commitment.

Method: We recruited n = 113 individuals who were civilly committed for inpatient treatment. Randomly assigned experimental participants were paired with a trained peer specialist to receive intensive 1-on-1 support to assist them with both their recovery and the conditions of their mandated court-ordered services.

A Randomized Clinical Trial Investigating the Effect of a Healthcare Access Model for Individuals with Severe Psychiatric Disabilities.

We conducted a randomized trial to examine a model for integrating primary care into a community mental health setting. Two hundred individuals were recruited and randomly assigned to receive primary care delivered by a nurse practitioner (n = 94) or services-as-usual (n = 106), assessed on health and mental health outcomes, and followed for 12 months. Intent-to-Treat and exposure analyses were conducted and suggest that participants who engaged with the nurse practitioner experienced gains in perceptions of primary care quality.

A national evaluation of clinical and economic outcomes in open versus laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Background: Surgical value is based on optimizing clinical and financial outcomes. The clinical benefits of laparoscopic surgery are well established; however, many patients are still not offered a laparoscopic procedure. Our objective was to compare the modern clinical and financial outcomes of laparoscopic and open colorectal surgery.

Evaluation of a statewide implementation of supported employment in Massachusetts.

Objective: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) have shown supported employment (SE) to be an evidence-based practice (EBP) for people with psychiatric disabilities. Whether SE implemented under "real-world" conditions achieves outcomes comparable to RCTs is an important question for the psychiatric rehabilitation field. We examined employment outcomes achieved by SE programs in Massachusetts, and in particular examined whether fidelity to EBP standards was associated with outcomes.

Economic burden associated with hospital postadmission dehydration.

Background: Development of dehydration after hospital admission can be a measure of quality care, but evidence describing the incidence, economic burden, and outcomes of dehydration in hospitalized patients is lacking.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare costs and resource utilization of U.S.

Effect of a disposable automated suturing device on cost and operating room time in benign total laparoscopic hysterectomy procedures.

Background And Objectives: To determine the effect of a disposable automated laparoscopic suturing device, the Endo Stitch (ES) (Covidien, Mansfield, MA, USA), on hospital cost and surgical time in patients undergoing a benign total laparoscopic hysterectomy procedure compared with the use of the da Vinci surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) or traditional laparoscopic suturing technique.

Methods: The Premier Perspective Database (Premier, Charlotte, NC, USA) was used to identify all inpatient hospital discharges with the primary procedure of a total laparoscopic hysterectomy (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code 68.41) for benign conditions between January 1, 2009, and June 30, 2011.

The HARM score: a novel, easy measure to evaluate quality and outcomes in colorectal surgery.

Objective: To develop a measurement tool based on HospitAl stay, Readmission, and Mortality rates (HARM) score, which is easily calculated from routine administrative data. Secondary goals were to validate the HARM score on a national inpatient sample.

Background: Concerns about patient safety, quality, and health care costs have increased demand for outcome measurement.

Short-term outcomes for robotic colorectal surgery by provider volume.

Background: There has been a rapid increase in robotic colorectal surgery. Benefits of this technology are unclear and being investigated. However, differences in outcomes between centers have not been evaluated.

Factors associated with Medicaid patients' access to buprenorphine treatment.

Some studies have shown that patients entering buprenorphine treatment differ from those in other modalities. This study compares Massachusetts Medicaid beneficiaries who received buprenorphine, methadone or other treatment for opioid addiction in 2007. Patients' characteristics and comorbidities were identified through claims data, and associations between these factors and treatment type were investigated using multivariate analysis.

The relationship of personal assistance service utilization to other Medicaid payments among working-age adults with disabilities.

This study examined changes in Medicaid provider payments prior to and following approval for personal assistance services (PAS) among 471 PAS users compared to 295 nonusers who qualified for but did not use PAS, adjusting for differences between users and nonusers using propensity scores. PAS users showed a significantly greater increase in total monthly payments from pre- to post-PAS approval compared to nonusers (35% vs. -9) due to high average monthly payments for PAS ($1325).

Premium increases in state health insurance programs: lessons from a case study of the Massachusetts Medicaid buy-in program.

In March 2003, Massachusetts increased the premiums it charges to most enrollees in its CommonHealth-Working (CH-W) program. This study evaluates the impact of the premium change on disenrollment using a comparison group methodology. The findings indicate that the premium change had only a small, but statistically significant impact on program exits.