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Policy Points Public funding for mental health programs must compete with other funding priorities in limited state budgets. Valuing state-funded mental health programs in a policy-relevant context requires consideration of how much benefit from other programs the public is willing to forgo to increase mental health program benefits and how much the public is willing to be taxed for such program benefits. Taxpayer resistance to increased taxes to pay for publicly funded mental health programs and perceived benefits of such programs vary with state population size. In all states, taxpayers seem to support increased public funding for mental health programs such as state Medicaid services, suggesting such programs are underfunded from the perspective of the average taxpayer. Context The direct and indirect impacts of serious mental illness (SMI) on health care systems and communities represents a significant burden. However, the value that community members place on alleviating this burden is not known, and SMI treatment must compete with a long list of other publicly funded priorities. This study defines the value of public mental health interventions as what the public would accept, either in the form of higher taxes or in reductions in nonhealth programs, in return for increases in the number of mental health program beneficiaries. Methods We developed and fielded a best-practice discrete-choice experiment survey to quantify respondents' willingness to be taxed for increased spending among several competing programs, including a program for treating severe mental health conditions. A realistic decision frame was used to elicit respondents' willingness to support expanded state budgets for mental health programs if that expansion required either cuts in the competing publicly financed programs or tax increases. The survey was administered to a general population national sample of 10,000 respondents. Findings Nearly half the respondents in our sample either chose "no budget increase" for all budget scenarios or had preferences that were too disordered to estimate trade-off values. Including zero values for those respondents, we found that the mean (median) amount that all respondents were willing to be taxed annually for public mental health programs ranged between $156 ($99) per year for large-population states and $343 ($181) per year for small-population states. Respondents would accept reductions of between 1.6 and 3.4 beneficiaries in other programs in return for 1 additional mental health program beneficiary. Conclusions Our results are consistent with findings that a substantial portion of the US public is unwilling to pay higher taxes. Nevertheless, even including the substantial number of respondents who opposed any tax increase, the willingness of both the mean and median respondent to be taxed for mental health program expansions implies that programs providing mental health services such as state Medicaid are underfunded.

Background In disease areas with ‘soft’ outcomes (i.e., the subjective aspects of a medical condition or its management) such as migraine or depression, extraction and validation of real-world evidence (RWE) from electronic health records (EHRs) and other routinely collected data can be challenging due to how the data are collected and recorded. In this study, we aimed to define and validate a scalable framework model to measure outcomes of migraine treatment and prevention by use of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms within EHR data. Methods Headache specialists defined descriptive features based on routinely collected clinical data. Data elements were weighted to define a 10-point scale encompassing headache severity (1–7 points) and associated features (0–3 points). A test data set was identified, and a reference standard was manually produced by trained annotators. Automation (i.e., AI) was used to extract features from the unstructured data of patient encounters and compared to the reference standard. A threshold of 70% close agreement (within 1 point) between the automated score and the human annotator was considered to be a sufficient extraction accuracy. The accuracy of AI in identifying features used to construct the outcome model was also evaluated and success was defined as achieving an F1 score (i.e., the weighted harmonic mean of the precision and recall) of 80% in identifying encounters. Results Using data from 2,006 encounters, 11 features were identified and included in the model; the average F1 scores for automated extraction were 92.0% for AI applied to unstructured data. The outcome model had excellent accuracy in characterizing migraine status with an exact match for 77.2% of encounters and a close match (within 1 point) for 82.2%, compared with manual extraction scores—well above the 70% match threshold set prior to the study. Conclusion Our findings indicate the feasibility of technology-enabled models for validated determination of soft outcomes such as migraine progression using the data elements typically captured in the real-world clinical setting, providing a scalable approach to credible EHR-based clinical studies. Graphical Abstract

Objective To compare oral voriconazole vs placebo in addition to topical antifungals in the treatment of filamentous fungal keratitis. Design Non-prespecified, secondary case-control analysis from a multicenter, double-masked, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods Study Participants : Patients with smear-positive filamentous fungal ulcers and visual acuity of 20/400 or worse who eventuated to therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (TPK). Intervention : Study participants were randomized to oral voriconazole vs oral placebo; all received topical antifungal drops. Main Outcome Measures : TPK button culture positivity. Results A total of 95 of 194 (49.5%) study participants enrolled at Madurai, Coimbatore, or Pondicherry, India eventuated to TPK in an average of 20.9 days (standard deviation 15.2 days, range 2-71 days). TPK button cultures were available for 67 of 95 (71%) of the TPKs performed and were positive for filamentous fungus in 45 of 67 (67%) cases. For each 1-day increase in the time to TPK there was 0.94-fold decreased odds of fungal culture positivity (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90–0.98, P = .005). Those randomized to oral voriconazole had 1.26-fold increased odds of TPK button culture positivity after controlling for time to TPK and baseline organism, but this was not statistically significant (95% CI 0.32–4.87; P = .74). Those who underwent TPK for lack of response to medical therapy were 10.64-fold more likely to be culture positive than if the indication for surgery was perforation and this was statistically significant (95% CI 2.16–51.70; P = .003). Conclusions There appears to be no benefit to adding oral voriconazole to topical antifungal agents in the treatment of severe filamentous fungal ulcers. Infection rather than inflammation appears to be the reason for the worsening clinical picture in many of these patients.

Objectives Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) is clinically defined as failure to respond to two antipsychotics of adequate dose and duration. An algorithm (registry TRS) was developed, for identifying patients with TRS in claim datasets from Sweden and the United States. Methods Schizophrenia (SZ) patients aged ≥13 years were identified in both datasets and matched to controls. Patients were identified as having TRS by use of the registry TRS or ≥1 prescription for clozapine or use of other published criteria. The algorithm was compared for sensitivity, and patients with and without TRS were compared for psychiatric and hospital burden and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores. TRS prevalence was not assessed due to lack of clinically validated data to test the specificity of the algorithm. Results Swedish registry TRS patients ≤45 years at first SZ diagnosis had significantly lower GAF scores and earlier disease onset than non-TRS patients. SZ patients with higher psychiatric comorbidity and hospital burden were more likely identified as TRS by all algorithms. The registry algorithm was significantly more sensitive to multiple inpatient stays and all psychiatric comorbidities at identifying TRS. Conclusion The registry algorithm appeared more sensitive at identifying patients with TRS, who had greater psychiatric and hospital burden.

There have been no systematic literature reviews (SLRs) evaluating the identified association between outcomes (e.g. clinical, functional, adherence, societal burden) and Quality-of-Life (QoL) or Healthcare Resource Utilization (HCRU) in schizophrenia. The objective of this study was to conduct a SLR of published data on the relationship between outcomes and QoL or HCRU.Electronic searches were conducted in Embase and Medline, for articles which reported on the association between outcomes and QoL or HCRU. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to identify the most relevant articles and studies and extract their data. A summary table was developed to illustrate the strength of associations, based on p-values and correlations.One thousand and two abstracts were retrieved; five duplicates were excluded; 997 abstracts were screened and 95 references were retained for full-text screening. Thrirty-one references were included in the review. The most commonly used questionnaire, which also demonstrated the strongest associations (defined as a p 0.0001 and/or correlation ±0.70), was the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) associated with HCRU and QoL (the SF-36, the Schizophrenia Quality-of-Life questionnaire [S-QOL-18], the Quality-of-Life Scale [QLS]). Other robust correlations included the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) with QoL (EQ5D), relapse with HCRU, and remission with QoL (EQ5D). Lastly, functioning (Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire [WORQ] and Personal and Social Performance Scale [PSP]) was found to be associated to QoL (QLS and Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptics Questionnaire [SWN]).This study included data from an 11-year period, and other instruments less frequently used may be further investigated.The evidence suggests that the PANSS is the clinical outcome that currently provides the most frequent and systematic associations with HCRU and QoL endpoints in schizophrenia.

Background Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) affects about one-third of individuals with schizophrenia. People with TRS do not experience sustained symptom relief and at the same time have the most severe disease-related disability and associated costs among individuals with severe mental disorders. Like caregivers of people with treatment-responsive schizophrenia, caregivers of individuals with TRS experience the disease burden along with their care recipients; however, for those providing care for individuals with TRS, the stress of the burden is unrelenting due to uncontrolled symptoms and a lack of effective treatment options. The objective of this study is to better understand the burden of TRS from the caregiver perspective and to explore their perception of available treatments. Methods Eight focus groups with non-professional, informal caregivers of individuals with TRS were conducted in 5 US locations. TRS was defined as failure of ≥2 antipsychotics and persistent moderate-to-severe positive symptoms of schizophrenia, per caregiver report. Results The 27 caregivers reported an average of 37 h/week providing direct care, and 21 reported being on call “24/7.” Caregivers commonly reported that their care recipients exhibited symptoms of auditory hallucinations (89%), agitation/irritability/hostility (81%), suspiciousness (78%), tangentiality (74%), and cognitive impairment (74%); 70% of caregivers ranked suspiciousness/persecution as the most challenging symptom category. Caring for an individual with TRS impacted many caregivers’ finances, career prospects, social relationships, and sense of freedom. Additionally, multiple medication failures led to a sense of hopelessness for many caregivers. Conclusions Persistent positive symptoms caused significant perceived burden, feelings of being overwhelmed and having no relief, and substantial negative impacts on caregivers’ emotional and physical health. To address these substantial unmet needs, policy makers should be aware of the need for practical, social, and emotional support for these caregivers and their families. Additionally, new treatment options for TRS should be developed.

Medication discrepancies at the time of hospital discharge are common and can harm patients. Medication reconciliation by pharmacists has been shown to prevent such discrepancies and the adverse drug events (ADEs) that can result from them. Our objective was to estimate the economic value of nontargeted and targeted medication reconciliation conducted by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at hospital discharge versus usual care.Discrete-event simulation model.We developed a discrete-event simulation model to prospectively model the incidence of drug-related events from a hospital payer's perspective. The model assumptions were based on data published in the peer-reviewed literature. Incidences of medication discrepancies, preventable ADEs, emergency department visits, rehospitalizations, costs, and net benefit were estimated.The expected total cost of preventable ADEs was estimated to be $472 (95% credible interval [CI], $247-$778) per patient with usual care. Under the base-case assumption that medication reconciliation could reduce medication discrepancies by 52%, the cost of preventable ADEs could be reduced to $266 (95% CI, $150-$423), resulting in a net benefit of $206 (95% CI, $73-$373) per patient, after accounting for intervention costs. A medication reconciliation intervention that reduces medication discrepancies by at least 10% could cover the initial cost of intervention. Targeting medication reconciliation to high-risk individuals would achieve a higher net benefit than a nontargeted intervention only if the sensitivity and specificity of a screening tool were at least 90% and 70%, respectively.Our study suggests that implementing a pharmacist-led medication reconciliation intervention at hospital discharge could be cost saving compared with usual care.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between mean deviation (MD) scores and resource utilization among glaucoma patients in the United States and Europe. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patient in the United States (June 1990 to January 2003, N = 151) and Europe (June 1994 to July 2003, N = 194) was conducted. Office visits, pressure-lowering medications, visual field examinations, and glaucoma surgeries were recorded with age, intraocular pressure (IOP), and MD. Patients with missing MD and IOP were excluded; final sample sizes were 130 in the United States and 161 in Europe. Fixed effects and logistic regression models assessed the associations between MD and visits, medication, examinations, and surgery. Results: Number of office visits and visual field examinations significantly increased but the number of glaucoma medications decreased as MD worsened and IOP increased. Odds of trabeculoplasty within 2 years decreased by 8.1% in the United States and 9.9% in Europe with every 1.0 dB improvement in MD. Odds of trabeculectomy within 2 years increased by 13.9% in the United States and by 18.6% in Europe with every 1 mm Hg increase in IOP. In the United States, odds of trabeculectomy within 5 years increased by 12.2% with each 1.0 dB worsening in MD. Conclusions: MD is associated with resource utilization in glaucoma patients. Evidence supporting use of MD to predict surgery is less conclusive, possibly due to the relative low frequency of surgeries. Therapies aimed at stabilizing visual field deterioration may reduce resource use and costs associated with glaucoma; however, more research is necessary to establish whether such treatments meet common standards of cost-effectiveness.

Importance Measurable competence derived from comprehensive and advanced training in grading digital images is critical in studies using a reading center to evaluate retinal fundus images from infants at risk for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Details of certification for nonphysician trained readers (TRs) have not yet been described. Objective To describe a centralized system for grading ROP digital images by TRs in the Telemedicine Approaches to Evaluating Acute-Phase Retinopathy of Prematurity (e-ROP) Study. Design, Setting, and Participants Multicenter observational cohort study conducted from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2014. The TRs were trained by experienced ROP specialists and certified to detect ROP morphology in digital retinal images under supervision of an ophthalmologist reading center director. An ROP reading center was developed with standard hardware, secure Internet access, and customized image viewing software with an electronic grading form. A detailed protocol for grading was developed. Based on results of TR gradings, a computerized algorithm determined whether referral-warranted ROP (RW-ROP; defined as presence of plus disease, zone I ROP, and stage 3 or worse ROP) was present in digital images from infants with birth weight less than 1251 g enrolled from May 25, 2011, through October 31, 2013. Independent double grading was done by the TRs with adjudication of discrepant fields performed by the reading center director. Exposure Digital retinal images. Main Outcomes and Measures Intragrader and intergrader variability and monitoring for temporal drift. Results Four TRs underwent rigorous training and certification. A total of 5520 image sets were double graded, with 24.5% requiring adjudication for at least 1 component of RW-ROP. For individual RW-ROP components, the adjudication rate was 3.9% for plus disease, 12.4% for zone I ROP, and 16.9% for stage 3 or worse ROP. The weighted κ for intergrader agreement (n = 80 image sets) was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.52-0.93) for RW-ROP, 0.57 (95% CI, 0.37-0.77) for plus disease, 0.43 (95% CI, 0.24-0.63) for zone I ROP, and 0.67 (95% CI, 0.47-0.88) for stage 3 or worse ROP. The weighted κ for grade-regrade agreement was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.57-0.97) for RW-ROP, 0.87 (95% CI, 0.67-1.00) for plus disease, 0.70 (95% CI, 0.51-0.90) for zone I ROP, and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.57-0.97) for stage 3 or worse ROP. Conclusions and Relevance These data suggest that the e-ROP system for training and certifying nonphysicians to grade ROP images under the supervision of a reading center director reliably detects potentially serious ROP with good intragrader and intergrader consistency and minimal temporal drift.

This secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial evaluates incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of 0.5-mg ranibizumab therapy vs PRP for PDR.

Transfusion of ABO-incompatible platelets (PLTs) is associated with reduced PLT recovery and a risk of transfusion reactions. However, a policy of transfusing only ABO-identical PLTs may increase wastage due to product outdating. A prospective study attempting to compare the effects of different ABO compatibility strategies could be costly and disruptive to a blood bank's operations.We designed a "virtual blood bank," a stochastic computer program that models the stocking and release of products to meet demand for PLT transfusion in a simulated hospital population. ABO-nonidentical transfusions (ABOni), outdates, and inventory shortages were recorded and compared under two different transfusion strategies: ABO-First, a strategy that prioritizes transfusion of ABO-identical PLTs, and Age-First, a strategy that minimizes outdating by transfusing products closest to expiration.The ABO-First strategy resulted in fewer ABOni but more outdates than the Age-First strategy. Under conditions that mimic a large hospital blood bank, the ABO-First strategy was more cost-effective overall than the Age-First strategy if avoiding an ABOni is valued at more than $19 to $26. For a small blood bank, the ABO-First strategy was more cost-effective if avoiding an ABOni is valued at more than $104 to $123.Based on a virtual blood bank computer simulation, the cost of avoiding an ABOni using the ABO-First strategy varies greatly by size of institution. Individual blood banks must carefully consider these management strategies to determine the most cost-effective solution.

Purpose: To describe a systematic review of population-based prevalence studies of visual impairment (VI) and blindness worldwide over the past 32 years that informs the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study. Methods: A systematic review (Stage 1) of medical literature from 1 January 1980 to 31 January 2012 identified indexed articles containing data on incidence, prevalence and causes of blindness and VI. Only cross-sectional population-based representative studies were selected from which to extract data for a database of age- and sexspecific data of prevalence of four distance and one near vision loss categories (presenting and best-corrected). Unpublished data and data from studies using rapid assessment methodology were later added (Stage 2). Results: Stage 1 identified 14,908 references, of which 204 articles met the inclusion criteria. Stage 2 added unpublished data from 44 rapid assessment studies and four other surveys. This resulted in a final dataset of 252 articles of 243 studies, of which 238 (98%) reported distance vision loss categories. A total of 37 studies of the final dataset reported prevalence of mild VI and four reported near VI. Conclusion: We report a comprehensive systematic review of over 30 years of VI/blindness studies. While there has been an increase in population-based studies conducted in the 2000s compared to previous decades, there is limited information from certain regions (eg, Central Africa and Central and Eastern Europe, and the Caribbean and Latin America), and younger age groups, and minimal data regarding prevalence of near vision and mild distance VI.

To develop a cost-offset model from a US payer perspective comparing glaucomatous progression and costs among primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients using bimatoprost, latanoprost, or travoprost.Cost-offset model.A Markov cohort model was used to estimate glaucomatous progression for POAG patients over 7 years. The model assumed bimatoprost-treated patients had lower resulting intraocular pressure (IOP) (by 1 mm Hg) for all presenting IOP categories than latanoprost- or travoprost-treated patients. Patients with lower IOP were assumed to have lower probability of progression. Those that progressed were assumed to do so at a rate of -0.6 dB per year. Direct costs associated with mean deviation score categories were applied to each treatment cohort to calculate the expected 7-year costs of treating patients with each prostaglandin analogue (PGA). Literature was used to support assumptions. A budget impact analysis was conducted where all travoprost patients switched to generic latanoprost and where all bimatoprost patients switched to generic latanoprost. The base case market share was 22% bimatoprost, 23% travoprost, and 55% latanoprost.Model results demonstrate that for a managed care plan with 9500 PGA-treated glaucoma patients, exclusive bimatoprost use would prevent progression in 136 additional individuals compared with exclusive travoprost or latanoprost treatment. Model results demonstrate that greater IOP reduction from bimatoprost is associated with increased cost savings compared with latanoprost or travoprost treatments.Model results demonstrate that greater IOP reduction from bimatoprost could reduce managed care spending.