[Impact of guidelines diffusion and information feedback in diabetes management. Assessment of general practitioner support program conducted by the French Mutualité Sociale Agricole (MSA)].

Objectives: To assess the impact of HAS (French national health authority) physician guides dedicated to diabetes on general practice, and the impact of additional individual information feedback.

Methods: 51 MSA funds participated in the study, consisting in two periods (April 2006-March 2007 and April 2007-March 2008). In total, 91 case physicians (who benefited from an individual information feedback) and 126 control physicians (who only received the HAS guide), having at least five diabetic patients covered by the agricultural health insurance scheme (Régime agricole) were included.

Regional variations in the prevalence of multiple sclerosis in French farmers.

Background: Studies on the prevalence of multiple sclerosis have been carried out worldwide, showing a heterogeneous distribution between countries and even between the different regions of the same country.

Methods: We estimated the regional and national prevalence of multiple sclerosis in France on 1 January 2003, based on the computerised database of the national farmer health insurance system ("Mutualité Sociale Agricole").

Results: There were 2667 cases of multiple sclerosis registered on the prevalence date, out of 4,098,477 affiliates.

Is spa therapy cost-effective in rheumatic disorders?

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of spa therapy for rheumatic diseases and sequelae of bone and joint injuries.

Patients And Methods: A prospective randomized, case-control design was used with health care cost reimbursements during the year before and after spa therapy as the measure of efficacy. Spa therapy is reimbursed by the national health insurance system in France, subject to prior agreement.

[Scanner and mechanical lumbar diseases in private practice. Apropos of 106 patients covered by the Caisse Maladie Régionale du Nord].

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate use of computed tomography (CT) of the lumbar spine in office practice. The "Caisse Maladie Régionale du Nord" provides health insurance to self-employed retailers and craft persons (92,500 people at the end of 1991). The authors prospectively studied 106 patients insured by this organisation (60 males, 46 females, mean age: 51.