The American journal of managed care
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Among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, adherence to prescribed medications has been reported to be as low as 60%, meaning that many patients may not be following the treatment plan that has been prescribed for them. The importance of treatment adherence is intuitive: better adherence would promote better outcomes. Data show this to be the case: for every 25% increase in medication adherence, a patient's glycated hemoglobin (A1C) is reduced by 0.34%. ⋯ Patients who are nonadherent are far more likely to require hospitalization and to incur significantly higher healthcare costs. The lesser costs of lower medication utilization in nonadherent patients are more than compensated for by the increased costs arising from poorer glycemic control, as multiple studies employing large managed care databases have demonstrated. Improvements in outcomes and reductions in costs related to the management of diabetes require focused efforts toward facilitating treatment adherence, efforts that should be undertaken by third-party payers in addition to physicians and patients.
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There are over 12 million ambulatory care visits for acute pharyngitis annually in the United States. Current guidelines recommend diagnosis through culture or rapid antigen detection test (RADT) and relatively straightforward treatment. Community pharmacists may provide cost-effective care for disease states such as group A streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis. ⋯ This model suggests that pharmacists may be able to provide a cost-effective alternative for the treatment of pharyngitis caused by GAS in adult patients.
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Adherence to therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is contingent upon a number of variables, including variables specific to the patient, to the provider, and to the treatment. While treatment selection will involve consideration to maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects, the physician must also take into account the priorities and preferences of each individual patient. For some patients, the risk of weight gain may exert a significant influence on adherence, while for others the risk of hypoglycemia or the cost of medications may be more important factors. ⋯ The treatment plan itself plays an additional role in the likelihood of a patient adhering to treatment. Less complex treatment regimens with fewer pills are associated with higher rates of adherence, as are fixed-dose combinations for those patients requiring combination therapy. Frequency and timing of dosing are also important aspects of adherence, as once-daily dosing is associated with higher rates of adherence than twice-daily dosing for anti-hyperglycemic medications.
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The emergence of information technology in healthcare holds the promise to transform the industry through the creation of highly reliable information exchange. These same technologies have a central role in the patient safety movement. Organizations that wish to deliver safe and high-quality healthcare will only be successful if they plan, develop, and use health information systems with the principles of high-performing organizations in mind. We discuss the current state of health information technology in the patient safety movement, how this technology can contribute to high organizational performance, and some caveats.
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Despite its unsurpassed efficacy in the management of diabetes, insulin has been resisted and feared for its risk of side effects (ie, weight gain, hypoglycemia). Many patients and providers have perceived insulin as a last resort therapy given to patients with a poor prognosis, and some patients even as a form of punishment for poor self-management. Also, fear of needles is a constant concern. ⋯ Patients generally prefer pen delivery systems, and they are associated with greater adherence and better glycemic control as compared with vial and syringe use. In addition to the ever-increasing variety of insulin formulations and delivery systems, educational initiatives are absolutely vital in order to overcome the limited knowledge about diabetes, self-management, and coping skills that can be seen in a large proportion of people with T2DM. Improved adherence to treatment, better outcomes, and reduced costs are contingent upon the appropriate use of, and full access to, appropriate treatment and patient education.