In Chronic Condition: Experiences Of Patients With Complex Health Care Needs, In Eight Countries, 2008

Abstract

This 2008 survey of chronically ill adults in Australia,

How much do we spend on prescription medicines? Out-of-pocket costs for patients in Australia and other OECD countries

“…The rates of underuse due to cost reported by Australian patients in these studies were only second to those reported by US patients and higher than those in Canada, 3,28 France 28 and Germany. 3,28 Australian studies have reported that dispensings of selected essential medicines including statins, proton-pump inhibitors, non-aspirin antiplatelets and osteoporosis treatments have decreased significantly following the 2005 co-payments increase and subsequent safety net policy changes. 11,29…”

“…Further large increases in the portion of medicine costs borne by patients have the potential to The proportion of adults reporting they had recently skipped doses of medicine or not filled a prescription because of cost in five OECD countries. 3,28 substantially affect access to and use of prescribed medicines, with potential risks to patient health and wellbeing. Policy makers should consider the ongoing affordability of medicine to patients, as well as to the wider community, when reviewing pharmaceutical reimbursement policy.…”

Where Americans Get Acute Care: Increasingly, It’s Not At Their Doctor’s Office

“…The study also noted that the percentage of Americans who visited emergency departments with ailments that could have been treated by regular doctors was more than three times that of people in Germany and the Netherlands, the best-performing countries in the study. 17 In 2009 the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reported that 28 percent of Medicare beneficiaries-and a similar percentage of a privately insured control group-had difficulty finding a primary care provider. 18 Many patients have adapted by seeking care elsewhere.…”

Fast and accurate HLA typing from short-read next-generation sequence data with xHLA

“…With the current trend toward precision medicine, knowing their HLA types will be crucial in early diagnosis and management of many diseases. For example, autoimmune disorder patients often have chronic problems with no exact diagnosis for many years after repeated doctor visits (5,6). Knowing patients' HLA types could lead to early diagnosis and reduce the burden on both patients and the healthcare system.…”