Smita Prasad MPH, first year UMHS-SK medical student, has published her research findings along with co-author
Raymond Hill DrPH MPA.
"The objective of this study was to determine the cost-efficiency of vaccinating against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Medicaid enrolled females of the Appalachian region of Kentucky (n=49,411 females) aged 12 to 25 years, versus paying for the treament of cervical cancer cases (n=643 cases) within this population later in life." The study demonstrated that such a prevention plan is cost-efficient and that over time, as the vaccinated population ages, an actual cost saving will be recognized.
Prasda SR, Hill R. A cost-benefit analsis on the HPV vaccine in Medicaid-enrolled females of the Appalachian region of Kentucky.
Kentucky Med Assoc J.June 2008;106:271-276.
Full text of the article is available in the library.Click for most information on
Cervical Cancer ,
Statistics Facts Sheet &
CDC 2007 National Immunization Survey Data.
Labels: cancer prevention, cancer research, Caribbean medical student, CDC, cost-benefit analysis, health care costs, HPV, human papillomavirus, public health, UMHS-SK, vaccination, womens health
"In the United States, nearly 13 percent of adults age 20 and older have diabetes, but 40 percent of them have not been diagnosed, according to epidemiologists from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose study includes newly available data from an
Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT)." “These findings have grave implications for our health care system, which is already struggling to provide care for millions of diabetes patients, many of whom belong to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly or minorities,” said Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., director of the NIDDK. “Of paramount importance is the need to curb the obesity epidemic, which is the main factor driving the rise in type 2 diabetes.”
“These findings of yet another increase in diabetes prevalence are a reminder that a full-scale public health response is in order. Re-directing the trends in diabetes will require changing the nutritional and physical activity habits of people at risk, and also creative and substantial efforts by health systems and communities," said Ed Gregg, Ph.D., epidemiology and statistics branch chief in CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation.
Click on the title to link to the NIH news release and further informational links on Diabetes.Labels: applied statistics, burden of disease, CDC, diabetes, health care costs, NIH, obesity, OGTT, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, public health, research study
