Health affairs
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Developing countries face steady growth in the prevalence of chronic diseases, along with a continued burden from communicable diseases. "Mobile" health, or m-health-the use of mobile technologies such as cellular phones to support public health and clinical care-offers promise in responding to both types of disease burdens. Mobile technologies are widely available and can play an important role in health care at the regional, community, and individual levels. We examine various m-health applications and define the risks and benefits of each. We find positive examples but little solid evaluation of clinical or economic performance, which highlights the need for such evaluation.
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New research provides revised comprehensive estimates that suggest that the U. S. national economic burden of pre-diabetes and diabetes reached $218 billion in 2007. ⋯ For each American, regardless of diabetes status, this burden represents a cost of approximately $700 annually. These results underscore the urgency of better understanding how prevention and treatment strategies may or may not help reduce costs.
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Health Affairs founding editor John K. Iglehart writes about the expanded role of Medicaid in a post-health care reform landscape.
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In 2008, U. S. health care spending growth slowed to 4.4 percent--the slowest rate of growth over the past forty-eight years. ⋯ These developments reflect the general pattern that larger increases in the health spending share of GDP generally occur during or just after periods of economic recession. Despite the overall slowdown in national health spending growth, increases in this spending continue to outpace growth in the resources available to pay for it.