Archive | June, 2008

Kid’s Cancer Highest In Northeast

June 2, 2008 by George Van Antwerp 0 Comments

I think this is an interesting analysis, but I don’t think it shows any causality just correlation.  The key questions (as reported) are whether there is an issue here (e.g., greater exposure to radiation) or just a difference in reporting or access.

The study was just released by the CDC.  It showed that cancer effects 166 out of every million children or 0.017%.  Rare, but very tragic.

  • The highest rate was in the Northeast with 179 cases per million children.
  • The lowest was among children in the South with 159 cases per million.
  • The rates for the Midwest and West were nearly identical, at 166 cases per million and 165 per million, respectively.
  • The cancer incidence in boys was 174 cases per million, compared with 157 cases per million in girls.
  • In white children, the rate was 173 per million, versus 164 per million in Hispanics and 118 per million in blacks.
  • Teenagers had higher rates than younger kids.
Healthcare, Research

You Only Have To Be Compliant For 10-Days…What Happened?

June 2, 2008 by George Van Antwerp 0 Comments

On the topic of non-compliance, I found this a pretty pathetic statistic:

56% of children on a 10-day course of penicillin for streptococcal infections were no longer receiving the drug by day three. (The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy)

I guess I expect it with maintenance drugs, but this is for your sick kids where you have already purchased the medication.

Consumerism, Healthcare, PBM / Pharmacy, Research

Deloitte Survey Of Health Care Consumers II

June 2, 2008 by George Van Antwerp 0 Comments

I posted an entry about a month ago about the Deloitte study that was out about consumer segmentation. That was from reading their website.

After someone sent me the PDF on their study, I finally read it on my flight to San Francisco today. It is full of lots of interesting facts based on their web survey of just over 3,000 adults in September 2007. Here are a few additional things that I pulled out (click on the tables to expand their size).

78% of consumers express a preference for customizing their insurance product by selecting the benefits and features they value and, in doing so, increasing or decreasing the overall cost of their coverage (Figure 18). Only 22% prefer selecting from a few pre-packaged products with defined benefits and features.

Books / Articles, Consumerism, Healthcare, Research
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