The journal of mental health policy and economics
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Sep 2015
Observational StudyThirty-Day Hospital Readmission for Medicaid Enrollees with Schizophrenia: The Role of Local Health Care Systems.
Examining health care system characteristics possibly associated with 30-day readmission may reveal opportunities to improve healthcare quality as well as reduce costs. ⋯ Given the likely importance of local care systems, to reduce readmission future research is needed to refine community-level capacity variables that are associated with reduced readmissions; and to evaluate models of care coordination in this population.
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Mar 2015
ReviewLegislations and policies to expand mental health and substance abuse benefits in health insurance plans: a community guide systematic economic review.
Health insurance plans have historically limited the benefits for mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) services compared to benefits for physical health services. In recent years, legislative and policy initiatives in the U.S. have been taken to expand MH/SA health insurance benefits and achieve parity with physical health benefits. The relevance of these legislations for international audiences is also explored, particularly for the European context. ⋯ Economic assessments over the long term such as cost per QALY saved and cost-benefit will be feasible as more data becomes available from plans that implemented recent expansions of MH/SA benefits. Results from these evaluations will allow a better estimate of the economic impact of the interventions from a societal perspective. Future research should also evaluate the more downstream effects on business decisions about labor, such as effects on hiring, retention, and the offer of health benefits as part of an employee compensation package. Finally, the economic effect of the far reaching ACA of 2010 on mental health and substance abuse prevalence and care is also a subject for future research.
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Dec 2014
Mental health inpatient treatment expenditure trends in China, 2005-2012: evidence from Shandong.
Mental health is increasingly becoming a huge public health issue in China. Yet for various cultural, healthcare system, and social economic reasons, people with mental health need have long been under-served in China. In order to inform the current on-going health care reform, empirical evidences on the economic burden of mental illnesses in China are urgently needed to contribute to health policy makers' understanding of the potential benefits to society from allocating more resources to preventing and treating mental illness. However, the cost of mental illnesses and particularly its trend in China remains largely unknown. ⋯ The policy implications generated from the results of this study are two-fold: first of all, in order to meet the growing need of mental health care in China, the government needs to significantly increase its spending in preventing and treating mental illnesses. Second, cost containment in inpatient care would become a major challenge for mental health policy makers in China. Government support, clinical practices and guideline development, as well as research are urgently needed to promote mental health prevention and improve the efficiency of mental health system in China. The current mental health system, like the overall healthcare system in China, relies heavily on hospital inpatient care. In order to build a sustainable mental health care system to meet increasing population need in China, it is crucial to integrate mental health care reform with the ongoing primary health care reform. Future mental health policy reform and research in China should put more focus on how to strengthen primary care system as well as community support, establish effective two-tier referring mechanism between hospital and primary care system, and to ensure continuity of care.
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Sep 2014
The adoption of pharmaceutical innovation and its impact on the treatment costs for Alzheimer's disease in Taiwan.
As the population ages, the number of people living with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been increasing over time. Between 1999 and 2006, four new AD drugs were approved for insurance coverage in Taiwan. ⋯ Another potential source of the offsetting effect is that adopting new AD drugs may be beneficial to the reduction in the cost of long-term care. This is an important avenue for future research.
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J Ment Health Policy Econ · Sep 2014
Association between quality of life and treatment response in children with attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and their parents.
It has been shown that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) lowers the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients and their families. Medication as part of the treatment has a favourable effect on symptoms as well as functioning. Evidence on the impact of pharmacological treatment on symptoms of ADHD and the QoL of the patient and their family is still limited. There is a need for further research on QoL in ADHD as well as the relationship between ADHD and the impact on families rather than solely on patients. ⋯ Suggestions for further research include the repetition of this study including a control group and obtaining children's self-report on QoL and clinicians report on diagnosis.