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Viewing entries tagged with 'medical appropriateness'

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Antibiotics: More Progress to Be Made

Marianne Udow-Phillips

Posted by Marianne Udow-Phillips on February 28, 2011

In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) launched a major initiative to reduce the overuse of antibiotics. While many people think that taking an antibiotic for viral infections is either beneficial or benign, the CDC knew that the overuse of antibiotics was leading to a significant increase in infections that were drug resistant.

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A Case in Point: The Tangled Web of Misaligned Incentives and Health Care Costs in the U.S.

Marianne Udow-Phillips

Posted by Marianne Udow-Phillips on December 13, 2010

In 2007, the COURAGE trial (aka: Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation –a mouthful!) results were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study concluded that for those with stable coronary artery disease, the insertion of stents was no better than medication and lifestyle changes at preventing future heart attacks or strokes, nor did it extend life. There were different side effects from each approach but clinically, this trial supports the concept that the choice of treatment ought to be based on patient preferences unless there were unique clinical factors present. The COURAGE trial results were widely publicized and use rates of these procedures have declined overall since then.

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