Background: Previous studies of economic content in medical journal advertisements have not examined all types of economic content and have not included advertisements for medical devices. Objective: To examine trends in the economic content of medical device and pharmaceutical advertisements in...

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common inflammatory joint disorder, with a prevalence of about 1% in the general population. It shows high variability with respect to its course and prognosis. In typical cases an insidious onset of symmetrical synovitis of the small joints of the hands and feet...

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical presentation can vary from simple heartburn to erosive esophagitis. Some patients require long-term, possibly life-long, therapy. The cost of treatment is substantial, as patients...

Background: The California Medicaid Program (Medi-Cal) provided open access to atypical antipsychotics in October 1997. This study investigated the impact of open access to atypical antipsychotics on the costs and duration of therapy for patients with bipolar disorders. Methods: Paid claims data...

The growth of specialty medication costs is having a visible impact on the market. These drugs - the products of groundbreaking scientific and technological advances in medicine - offer tremendous promise for the treatment of serious debilitating and life-threatening illnesses; however, the...

Health policy has shifted towards placing a greater emphasis on the role of lifestyle and life circumstances in improving health. The factors that are associated with poor health status are known, but the comparative effectiveness of specific policy interventions in improving health and reducing...

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is, at least in part, associated with high antimicrobial usage and causes increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. However, policies to contain AMR focus on `micro' interventions - typically in one institution (usually a hospital)....

There is increasing recognition that decision modelling is central to health technology assessment and, in particular, to analyses to support formal decision making regarding the funding of the use of new technologies. In part, the key role of decision analysis stems from the need to handle...

Linezolid (Zyvox(R)), the first available oxazolidinone antibacterial agent, has good activity against Gram-positive pathogens, including multidrug-resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Randomised multicentre...

Objective: To develop a user-friendly tool for managing the transfer of economic evaluation results. Methods: Factors that may influence the transfer of health economic study results were systematically identified and the way they impact on transferability was investigated. A transferability...