chronic diseases

The AARP has stepped into the fight over biologic drugs, throwing its support behind a new bill designed to speed the development and approval of generic versions of these medications. The measure, The Access to Life-Saving Medicine Act of 2007, would provide the FDA with a regulatory approach for approving generic biologics. The bill is intended to offer cheaper alternatives to biologic drugs, which treat diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and cancer. Brand-name …

While anyone would argue that Medicare beneficiaries ought to the get the appropriate level of care regardless of their race or ethnic background, officials with Medicare aren't sure how to make this happen, according to experts addressing a Congressional briefing session this week. Right now, disparities definitely exist in how well minorities are cared for, both within and …

Rising healthcare costs, less contact with physicians, longer wait times--all of these are the frustrating realities for patients dealing with our healthcare system. But the American Academy of Family Physicians' TransforMED project is hoping the cure these problems using a program that allows patients to have virtual checkups online. Thirty-six physicians have been selected to participate in a pilot program that will run for two years. Billed as the "house call of the future," the …

Blue Cross of California is paying 178 physician groups an extra $65 million this year under a pay-for-performance program that rewards high quality in a number of areas, including patient satisfaction, waiting times for appointments, number of complaints and grievances, and review of medical group or IPA functions. Performance in clinical areas was tracked, too, including managing chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes and adherence to screening guidelines for breast and cervical …

The American College of Physicians is offering a new set of online quality measurement tools to its 120,000 members. They're designed to help physicians figure out and hopefully comply with 26 "starter set" measurements developed by the Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance, a joint effort of the ACP, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The starter measurements cover many of the top …

The Washington Post examines New York City's new program to monitor the blood sugar of people with diabetes. The project marks the first time a government has actively monitored a chronic disease. Some public health experts are hailing the step as an "aggressive move" in the right direction, and arguing that similar programs for other chronic diseases should considered. Civil liberties groups are uncomfortable with the idea, however, warning that such monitoring "is an alarming …

Patients in the US are more likely to experience serious medical errors than their counterparts in other industrialized countries, a new Commonwealth Foundation sponsored study published in Health Affairs argues. Researchers found that medical errors are a serious issue from Canada to the UK, but noted that rates are slightly higher in the US. The study also examines international differences in physician-patient communication, pain management, timely access to care, care for …

The September/October issue of Health Affairs spotlights health information technology, offering two studies by the RAND Corporation which assess the potential impact of a mature national technology infrastructure. In one study, the research group projects that the healthcare system as a whole could save as much as $162 billion per year if electronic medical records were implemented widely and doctors and hospitals used systems capable of communicating with each other.

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Some privacy groups say they are opposed to a plan developed by New York health officials which would allow the city to monitor data on residents with diabetes. The proposed monitoring plan would give the city access to periodic blood sugar tests conducted by doctors. The idea has won the support of many health policy experts around the country, who argue that people with chronic diseases like diabetes often have difficulty keeping up with their conditions. Many argue similar programs …

San Diego hosts the 65th annual American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions this weekend. That means we can probably expect a lot of talk about diabetes and chronic diseases in general over the next week. Eli Lilly is expected to talk up its partnership with Amylin Pharmaceuticals, which produced the recently approved Byetta, a new twice-a-day treatment for controlling blood sugar levels which appears to show great promise.

We'll also be hearing a lot about the things …