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Showing posts with label say. Show all posts
Showing posts with label say. Show all posts

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Being Bullish on the Patient Centered Medical Home Despite What the Annals of Internal Medicine Has To Say


The Disease Management Care Blog recently received a curious email from the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative.  As readers may recall, this is the Washington DC-based coalition that advocates on behalf of the Patient Centered Medical Home(PCMH). 

The content of that rather defensive communication can be found here.

What provoked this? The premier internal medicine specialty journal, the Annals of Internal Medicine, published a comprehensive review of the peer-reviewed literature on the PCMH, and its authors skeptically concluded:

The PCMH holds promise for improving the experiences of patients and staff and potentially for improving care processes, but current evidence is insufficient to determine effects on clinical and most economic outcomes

Ouch. No "economic outcomes" means that there is no proof that the PCMH saves money.

Unlike the PCPCC membership, regular DMCB readers arent surprised.  For example, the DMCB pointed out months ago that the U.S. governments Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality ("AHRQ") had concluded the same thing.  Countless other DMCB posts on the medical home have pointed out that there were problems with the published PCMH literature (for example, here and here).

Thanks to a past Congressional Budget Office report, the DMCB feels the PCPCC pain. It also knows that a) finding statistically significant cost savings in health insurance data bases are notoriously difficult, b) successful medical home initiatives that are outside the academisphere are the least likely to be reported it in the peer-reviewed literature, c) "savings" isnt the only measure of patient value and d) journals like the Annals of Internal Medicine are being sidelined by innovators who are more astute judges of what works for their patients.

Whats changed for the medical home and the PCPCC after this unpleasant dust-up?  Ultimately nothing. Pairing nurses and physicians in team-based care, whether its done remote telephonic "disease management" style or in the clinic "medical home" style is ultimately a good idea with obvious face validity. The Annals problem is that we dont have pristine scientific methodologies that can identify, capture and measure the benefit.

The good news is that the science is getting better. Until it catches up, the population health and disease management service providers will remain in business and the medical home will continue to have a bright future.

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Monday, September 16, 2013

Say Good Bye To Eye Defects

When is the right time to visit an eye doctor? This is the most common of the questions people ask when told of the importance of regular checkups. It is wise to go for regular eye check up so as to keep problems at bay rather than visiting doctor when the problem turns serious enough. Early detection of surfacing troubles and thereby treatment at the earliest. Eyesight troubles are common in 40+ ages. The probability of eye problems increases with increased age. This in no way undermines the fact that even kids are facing eyesight problems at such young ages.

No matter your age, have regular eye check ups. Regular visits to an eye doctor in Newark, OH would minimize the chances of things turning worse. It is wise to be safe with checkup before than to be sorry later. Family genes are one of the major reasons of eyesight defects. Check for your familys medical history to know more about your chances of getting troubled. Diabetes and high blood pressure are also known to have caused eye problems. If you are already down with such health problems, eyesight troubles are not too far. Diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, ocular hypertension and macular degeneration are some of the eye defects, that someone suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure might come across.

The symptoms
Check for the early signs. If swelled eyes, red watery eyes, blurred visions and inability to see in low lights are troubling you, it is high time you visit the nearest eye doctor in Newark, OH. These are warning signals and if unattended to, would surely turn into serious eye complications, the end result being loss of eyesight. Regular exercises have shown to minimize the chances of macular degeneration by almost half.

Reasons behind eye defects
The ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight is another reason for eye defects. Make sure that you do not explore outdoors without sunglasses, the most basic of the protection. Sunglasses reduce the chances of eye cataracts and other defects resulting from UV rays. Ask any eye doctor in Newark, OH and he/she would clearly suggest the importance of diet for avoiding eye defects. Anti-oxidant rich stuffs, such as fruits and green vegetables are recommended. Omega-3 acid enriched fishes are known to cure eye cataracts.

The dangers of smoking are well known to all. Those habitual to heavy smoking are more prone to eye cataracts and macular degeneration, if eye doctors in Newark, OH are to be believed. So if you have the habit of smoking, it is time to quit so as to live healthy with problem free vision.

Authors Resource Box

Eye doctor Newark, OH Looking for eye doctors? ProCare Vision Center provides personalised eye care to patients of all ages. Schedule an appointment with them. http://www.procarevisioncenters.com/

Article Source : Say Good Bye To Eye Defects

Author : gardnerw
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