Health Care Utilization
COPD plus GERD, diabetes or osteoporosis raises odds for exacerbations, health care use
Having GERD, diabetes or osteoporosis in addition to COPD heightened the likelihood for exacerbations, ED visits and hospitalizations, according to results published in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.
COPD-related health care usage drops with ensifentrine in moderate to severe COPD
BOSTON — Fewer patients with moderate to severe COPD used health care resources related to the disease if they received ensifentrine for 48 weeks, according to a presentation at the CHEST Annual Meeting.
Costs, health care utilization rise after patients with COPD become frequent exacerbators
BOSTON — After progressing to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, or GOLD, group E, patients with COPD faced higher costs and used health care resources more, according to a poster presented at the CHEST Annual Meeting.
Grant winners study health care usage, patient perspectives in asthma
BOSTON — Work from four of the six winners of a grant from the Allergists’ Foundation as part of the Community Grant Program focus on asthma, according to an American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology press release.
Use of pulmonary rehabilitation in 2019 low in adults with COPD
A small proportion of adults with COPD used pulmonary rehabilitation in 2013, and this did not change much in 2019, according to results published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
In patients with AF, those with wearables use health care resources more often
Among patients with atrial fibrillation, those with wearable cardiac monitors had greater use of the health care system for AF purposes compared with those without wearables, researchers reported.
COPD, IPF end of life health care use differs from lung cancer
SAN DIEGO — Six months before dying, patients with COPD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis vs. lung cancer had reduced odds for outpatient palliative care, according to a poster at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.
What is proctalgia fugax and how is it managed?
Proctalgia fugax (fugax-fleeting) is characterized by brief episodes of rectal pain. Although a common problem, information regarding this disorder is limited because the published medical literature consists mostly of anecdotal reports and small case series.
Less health care use with lung specialist-directed treatment in undiagnosed COPD, asthma
SAN DIEGO — Receiving treatment from a lung specialist for undiagnosed COPD or asthma lowered annual respiratory illness-related health care usage, according to research presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Long hospital stay, high costs more likely in patients with sleep-disordered breathing
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea and obesity hypoventilation syndrome each had elevated odds for extended nonsurgical hospital stays and high costs, according to results published in Annals of the American Thoracic Society.