Yanyu Wu

Economic Burden of Community-Based Disease-Associated Malnutrition in the United States

BACKGROUND The burden imposed by disease-associated malnutrition (DAM) on patients and the healthcare system in food-abundant industrialized countries is often underappreciated. This study measured the economic burden of community-based DAM in the United States. METHODS The burden of DAM was quantified in terms of direct medical costs, quality-adjusted life years lost, and mortality across 8 diseases (breast cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], colorectal cancer [CRC], coronary heart disease [CHD], dementia, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, and stroke). To estimate the total economic burden, the morbidity and mortality burden was monetized using a standard value of a life year and combined with direct medical costs of treating DAM. Disease-specific prevalence and malnutrition estimates were taken from the National Health Interview Survey and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Deaths by disease were taken from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Estimates of costs and morbidity were taken from the literature. RESULTS The annual burden of DAM across the 8 diseases was

Robot-assisted surgery for kidney cancer increased access to a procedure that can reduce mortality and renal failure.

156.7 billion, or

Economic Burden of Disease-Associated Malnutrition in China

508 per U.S. resident. Nearly 80% of this burden was derived from morbidity associated with DAM; around 16% derived from mortality and the remainder from direct medical costs of treating DAM. The total burden was highest in COPD and depression, while the burden per malnourished individual was highest in CRC and CHD. CONCLUSION DAM exacts a large burden on American society. Therefore, improved diagnosis and management of community-based DAM to alleviate this burden are needed.

Association Between Breast Cancer Disease Progression and Workplace Productivity in the United States

Surgeons increasingly use robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery for a variety of medical conditions. For hospitals, the acquisition and maintenance of a robot requires a significant investment, but financial returns are not linked to any improvement in long-term patient outcomes in the current reimbursement environment. Kidney cancer provides a useful case study for evaluating the long-term value that this innovation can provide. Kidney cancer is generally treated through partial or radical nephrectomy, with evidence favoring the former procedure for appropriate patients. We found that robot-assisted surgery increased access to partial nephrectomy and that partial nephrectomy reduced mortality and renal failure. The value of the benefits of robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery to patients, in terms of quality-adjusted life-years gained, outweighed the health care and surgical costs to patients and payers by a ratio of five to one. In addition, we found no evidence that the availability of robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery increased the likelihood that inappropriate patients received partial nephrectomy.

A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Using Evidence of Effectiveness in Terms of Progression Free Survival in Making Reimbursement Decisions on New Cancer Therapies

Disease-associated malnutrition (DAM) is a well-recognized problem in many countries, but the extent of its burden on the Chinese population is unclear. This article reports the results of a burden-of-illness study on DAM in 15 diseases in China. Using data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the China Health and Nutrition Survey, and the published literature, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost because of DAM were calculated; a financial value of this burden was calculated following WHO guidelines. DALYs lost annually to DAM in China varied across diseases, from a low of 2248 in malaria to a high of 1 315 276 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The total burden was 6.1 million DALYs, for an economic burden of US

The Impact of State AIDS Drug Assistance Policies on Clinical and Economic Outcomes of People With HIV

66 billion (Chinese ¥ 447 billion) annually. This burden is sufficiently large to warrant immediate attention from public health officials and medical providers, especially given that low-cost and effective interventions are available.

The Option Value of Innovative Treatments for Metastatic Melanoma

Objective: Determine workplace productivity losses attributable to breast cancer progression. Methods: Longitudinal analysis linking 2005 to 2012 medical and pharmacy claims and workplace absence data in the US patients were commercially insured women aged 18 to 64 diagnosed with breast cancer. Productivity was measured as employment status and total quarterly workplace hours missed, and valued using average US wages. Results: Six thousand four hundred and nine women were included. Breast cancer progression was associated with a lower probability of employment (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.65, P < 0.01) and increased workplace hours missed. The annual value of missed work was

The Affordable Care Act May Increase The Number Of People Getting Tested For HIV By Nearly 500,000 By 2017

24,166 for non-metastatic and

Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Medication Cost Sharing on Patient Outcomes and Health Plan Costs

30,666 for metastatic patients. Thus, progression to metastatic disease is associated with an additional

The option value of innovative treatments for non-small cell lung cancer and renal cell carcinoma.

6500 in lost work time (P < 0.05), or 14% of average US wages. Conclusions: Breast cancer progression leads to diminished likelihood of employment, increased workplace hours missed, and increased cost burden.