Accessed through the Hayes Knowledge Center, the Evidence Analysis Solution addresses the following fundamental questions to help our clients determine coverage positions:
Health Problem: The 2 most problematic abnormal scars include keloids and hypertrophic scars, which may cause contracture leading to dysfunction and disfigurement. The incidence of hypertrophic scarring is estimated to occur in 91% of burn injuries.
Technology Description: Fractional carbon dioxide and erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet lasers are com…
Health Problem: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, obstructive respiratory disorder in which airways are clogged with mucus; airways and alveoli lose elasticity; or alveoli are thickened, inflamed, or destroyed. Signs and symptoms include ongoing cough, often producing mucus; shortness of breath; audible breathing such as wheezing, whistling, or squ…
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a therapy for treatment-resistant major depression and bipolar disorder in which an implanted generator, the neurocybernetic prosthesis, delivers electrical pulses to the cervical portion of the vagus nerve. The goal of VNS is to reduce the severity and/or duration of a depressive period.
Health Problem: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlargement or growth of the prostate gland. An enlarged prostate restricts the urethra and applies pressure on the base of the bladder. This restriction of the urethra can interfere with urination and eventually cause more serious problems.
Health Problem: Cardiac arrhythmias occur when there is abnormal formation or conduction of electrical impulses in the myocardium. General types of arrhythmias include bradycardia, tachycardia, and heart block. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is 1 of the most common arrhythmias, with an estimated prevalence of 2.7 to 6.1 million pe… Health Problem: Tumors originating in the pituitary are the fourth most common type of intracranial tumor. The majority are slow-growing benign adenomas that do not metastasize. Symptoms from pituitary adenomas (PAs) result from endocrine dysfunction or compression of brain structures as the tumor enlarges, which may result in significant morbidity. Technology D… Health Problem: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) develops via progressive destruction of the cartilage lining the knee joints, subchondral bone surfaces, and synovium. KOA causes pain, immobility, muscle weakness, decreased function, and impaired ability to complete activities of daily living. Symptomatic KOA has a prevalence rate of 12% in adults aged 60 years or greater. KOA negati… Health Problem: In women without adequate local tissue and muscle envelopes following mastectomy, human acellular dermal matrix (HADM) provides an alternative to autologous tissue donation or more extensive dissection and may enable 1-stage breast reconstruction (BR). Technology Description: Biologic meshes are extracellular collagen matrices derived fr… Health Problem: Child and adolescent obesity is a body mass index (BMI) at or above the sex-specific 95th percentile on BMI-for-age growth charts. Consequences of obesity in children and adolescents include type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, musculoskeletal disorders, endocrine conditions, psycholo… Health Problem: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a compression neuropathy of the median nerve at the wrist. It is characterized by increased pressure within the carpal tunnel and decreased function of the nerve. The estimated prevalence of CTS is 3.1% to 7.8% among adult workers, with higher prevalence among female and older-age workers. Technology Description: <...
Zio Patch (iRhythm Technologies Inc.) Long-Term Ambulatory Cardiac Rhythm Monitoring
Proton Beam Therapy for Treatment of Pituitary Adenomas
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Knee Osteoarthritis
Comparative Effectiveness Review of Human Acellular Dermal Matrix for Breast Reconstruction
Comparative Effectiveness Review of Bariatric Surgeries for Treatment of Obesity in Adolescents
Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Carpal Tunnel Release for Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome