Hepatitis C treatment is cost-effective for the US prison ...( Treating all U.S. prisoners who have...),Health
Treating all U.S. prisoners who have hepatitis C with the standard therapy of pegylated-interferon and ribavirin would be cost-effective, says a new study in the November issue of Hepatology, a journal published by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The article is also available online at Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com).
U.S. prisons incarcerate more than 2 million inmates each year, and between 12 and 31 percent of them are infected with chronic hepatitis C (HCV), mostly related to high rates of intravenous drug use. The current standard treatment for HCV has been shown to be cost-effective in the general population and the Federal Bureau of Prisons recommends HCV treatment for those who meet the AASLD's criteria for treatment, as long as therapy is likely to be completed. However, each state adopts its own set of treatment guidelines, and many prisoners do not ultimately get treated.
Proponents for treatment argue that we have an ethical duty to provide prisoners with the best medical practices available, and treating HCV could reduce new infections as well as future medical expenses from advanced liver disease. Opponents point out that treatment is expensive and must be paid for by taxpayers, while many non-imprisoned HCV patients who don't have health insurance are denied access to this care.
Researchers, led by Sammy Saab of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, sought to determine if HCV treatment would be cost-effective in the male prison population (men make up over 87 percent of U.S. prisoners). They examined published literature for relevant studies and constructed a decision analysis model employing Markov simulation, using the generally accepted cost-effectiveness threshold of $50,000 per quality-adjusted life years.
"Our model found that treatment was cost-saving for prison
'/>"/>
| Contact: Sean Wagner swagner@wiley.com 781-388-8550 Wiley-Blackwell Source:Eurekalert |
Related medicine news :
1. Existing anti-obesity drugs may be effective against flu, hepatitis and HIV
2. Majority of children vaccinated against hepatitis B not at increased risk of MS
3. How to select anti-hepatitis B virus agents for drug-resistance patients?
4. The prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in inflammatory bowel disease patients
5. A potential approach to treatment of hepatitis B virus infection
6. New approach, old drug show promise against hepatitis C, Stanford research shows
7. Early treatment is key to combating hepatitis C virus
8. New treatment therapy helps inhibit hepatitis C
9. Liver damage in hepatitis C patients could be treated with warfarin, says study
10. Study Disproves Belief That Hepatitis C Blunts HIV Drugs
11. Hepatitis B Foundation Sponsors Two-Day Educational Conference for Children and Adults at Risk for Deadly Liver Virus
| Copyright © 2003-2009 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |