Health Highlights: Dec. 10, 2007
Mar. 23 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Little Evidence Disease Management Programs Save Money: RAND
While disease management programs may improve quality of care for patients with chronic health problems such as diabetes and congestive heart failure, there's little evidence that such programs save money, according to a study released Monday by the non-profit research organization RAND Corp.
Researchers analyzed previous studies on disease management programs -- which use interventions ranging from telephone reminders to home visits by medical professionals -- and found that the programs can improve health care quality and disease control and, in the case of congestive heart failure, lower hospital admission rates.
But there's little evidence about whether the programs improve patient health outcomes or save money over the long term.
"Disease management is viewed as the silver bullet that can fix two problems of the health care system -- inadequate quality and high costs. Unfortunately, while there is evidence that disease management programs can indeed improve the quality of care, there is no conclusive evidence that they can actually save money," said report lead author Soeren Mattke, a senior natural scientist at RAND.
In 2005, U.S. health insurance plans and employers spent about $1.2 billion on disease management programs.
-----
Merck Pushes for OTC Sales of Mevacor
For the third time in a decade, Merck & Co. is trying to persuade the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow non-prescription sales of the cholesterol-lowering statin drug Mevacor, Bloomberg news reported.
However, the likelihood of the FDA granting such approval appears slim due to opposition from the American Medical Association, Bloomberg said. In a letter to the FDA, the AMA said patients need a physician's help to determine if they have high cholesterol and whether it's safe for them to take Mevacor.
Trending Reader Picks
ABC News Live