Why should depression screening be conducted in chronically ill populations? Depression is a disabling illness and is very common among patients who have chronic illnesses. Despite its high prevalence in this patient population, depression often goes unrecognized. Having a plan for a...

Asthma is a chronic condition with characteristics that make it an ideal target for interventions used within disease state management in managed care settings. It affects a substantial population of patients and imposes an increasingly significant global societal burden. Despite the...

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways, affecting about 10% of children and 5 to 7% of the adult population. Improved asthma control will not only benefit the patient but will also result in reduced financial expenditure in asthma healthcare. This article summarises the tools...

Objective: To present the pattern of self-report and diagnosis of erectile dysfunction in the US over the time period 1990 through 1998 and examine whether the introduction of sildenafil in March 1998 influenced these findings. Study design and methods: Retrospective database analysis. Data from...

Coronary heart disease (CHD) emerged in North America and Europe as a leading cause of disease and death in the mid 20th century, and is now rapidly increasing in developing nations. By the mid 1980s, American and European academic institutions had issued several sets of guidelines indicating...

Smoking accounts for significant morbidity and mortality and has major economic consequences for healthcare delivery throughout the world. Government policy such as increasing taxes and restricting advertising go some way to reduce smoking, but the social and economic factors that affect target...

Background: In the US, diabetes mellitus affects people in all racial and ethnic groups, but the prevalence and risk of complications are considerably higher among African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaskan Natives. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of enrollment for at...

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between adherence to antidepressant therapy and economic outcomes. Design: Retrospective database analysis using pharmacy and medical claims from a pharmacy benefit and medical management company serving a large managed care organization (MCO) that...