Did You Know?
 | Research shows that patients who are more involved with their care tend to get better results, according to an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) publication called “20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors.” |
| Approximately 31 percent of patients fail to report medication side effects to their physicians, according to MediMedia USA in an article entitled “Communication Between Primary Care Physicians and Patients.” |
| With nearly 800 drugs in the biotech pipeline and a growth rate of 22.5 percent in 2005, specialty medications are the fastest growing pharmaceutical market segment according to the Business Wire, Harahan, LA, and Portland, OR, April 6, 2006. |
| Healthcare in the United States is extending lives and saving money based on an analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine (August 2006) and cited in an article in HealthDay News. Innovations in healthcare account for more than half of the recent rise in U.S. life expectancy. Researchers found that the life expectancy for newborns from 1960 to 2000 rose from 69.9 to 76.9 years and cost $19,900 per person, per year. However, the researchers also noted that the rate of return has declined over time. Those trends suggest that increases in medical spending may surpass improvements in life expectancy. |
| From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. They account for 7 of every 10 deaths in this country and have an impact on the quality of life of 90 million Americans. The CDC encourages adopting healthy behaviors to prevent chronic diseases. Eating nutritious foods, being physically active and avoiding tobacco can reduce risk of many chronic diseases. |
| In September 2006, the CDC reports that the nation’s leading cancer organizations released findings that Americans’ risk of cancer continues to drop. Death rates declined for 11 of the 15 most common cancers in men and 10 of the 15 most common cancers in women. Authors of the research attribute the decrease to reduction in tobacco exposure, earlier detection through screening and more effective treatment. Their conclusion: continued success depends on maintaining and enhancing these efforts. |
| From the National Center for Health Statistics, here are the numbers of Americans who are affected by infertility: |
 | | 6.1 million - Number of women ages 15-44 with impaired ability to have children |
| | 9.2 million - Number of women who've ever used infertility services |
| | 2.1 million - Number of married couples that are infertile |
| | 9.3 million - Number of women using infertility services |
| From Arthritis M.D.:
Rheumatoid arthritis, the second most common form of arthritis, occurs when the body’s immune system reacts against its own joint linings, causing painful inflammation. |
| | An estimated 0.3 to 1.5 percent of the U.S. population has rheumatoid arthritis. |
| | Most individuals with rheumatoid arthritis are between the ages of 20 and 40. |
| | After 10 to 12 years with rheumatoid arthritis, less than 20% of patients are free of disability or deformity. |
| | Fewer than five percent of patients with rheumatoid arthritis are wheelchair-bound or unable to take care of themselves. |
| | Ten percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis go into complete remission within the first year. |
| According to projections from IMS National, a pharmaceutical market intelligence company: |
| Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients have three times the direct medical costs, twice the hospitalization rate and 10 times the work disability rate of an age- and sex-matched population. Up to one-third of people with RA do not get sufficient response from baseline treatments. |
| From the Arthritis Foundation (Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 2000): Annual health care costs for disabled employees with rheumatoid arthritis are $17,822, almost three times more than non-disabled employees ($6,131). |
| From the American Journal of Managed Care (2006):“Pain is the primary reason for patients seeking healthcare, and it has been estimated to result in more than $100 billion per year in direct medical costs. Neuropathic pain (NP) alone has been associated with an approximately three-fold increase in use of healthcare resources. The indirect costs associated with chronic pain result from increased absenteeism and decreased productivity at work, and they also have been estimated to total $100 billion each year in the United States. NP contributes substantially to these costs. Results from one study indicated that employment was affected in 43% of patients with NP. Quality of life is also significantly reduced in such patients. Patients with chronic pain also have difficulty in initiating and maintaining sleep, and sleep deprivation has the potential to exacerbate pain. Sleep deprivation is also associated with both anxiety and depression, and both of these conditions can exacerbate sleep disturbances. Effective management of the patient with chronic pain, including NP, requires assessment and, if necessary, treatment of all comorbidities associated with this condition.” |
| According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the direct and indirect costs associated with MS are an estimated $23 billion each year in the United States. The World Health Organization estimates that the direct and indirect costs related to MS are approximately $51,000 per patient. |
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