Accessed through the Hayes Knowledge Center, the Evidence Analysis Solution addresses the following fundamental questions to help our clients determine coverage positions:
Health Problem: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs when a blood clot blocks blood circulation. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a deep vein, usually the leg or pelvis, although sometimes in the arm. DVT causes serious morbidity and mortality, with a 1-month mortality rate of 6%.
Technology Description: Percutaneous mechanical th…
Health Problem: More than 70 million surgical procedures are performed annually in the United States. Fewer than half of patients who undergo surgery report adequate postoperative pain relief. Controlling postoperative pain increases patient mobility, permits earlier return to activities of daily living, and reduces the risk for postoperative complications. According to 2010 s…
Health Problem: In people with gender identity disorder (GID), formerly called transsexualism, there is severe incongruity between anatomical sex and gender identity. Individuals with GID have persistent discomfort with his or her anatomical sex, usually beginning in childhood. The discomfort or stress caused by this incongruity is gender dysphoria (GD).
Technol…
Health Problem: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a common, debilitating, painful condition with few treatment options. The cartilage between the bones degenerates, no longer providing a smooth, gliding surface for motion or adequate cushioning. Damaged articular cartilage does not tend to heal and may progressively worsen and cause focal lesions, eventually leading to OA. Be…
Health Problem: Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most severe form of spina bifida, in which the neural tube does not completely close and a sac of fluid, including cerebrospinal fluid, meninges, and possibly damaged parts of the spinal cord and nerves, protrudes through an opening in the baby’s back. Moderate-to-severe disabilities accompany MMC, including impaired cognition, uri…
Health Problem: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is an abnormal development of the diaphragm that allows for organs such as the stomach, liver, and bowel to protrude into the chest cavity. Pulmonary hypoplasia (lung underdevelopment) and impaired function result, leading to respiratory insufficiency and possibly causing potentially fatal persistent pulmonary hypertension….
Health Problem: Spinal discs and the cartilage that covers mobile joints can become damaged by chronic strain, overuse, trauma, and diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causing pain and disability.
Technology Description: Stem cells used for treatment of joint pain can be harvested from iliac crest bone marrow, adipose tiss…
Health Problem: Approximately 70% of people in developed countries experience lower back pain (LBP) during their lives, and it becomes chronic in an estimated 20% of individuals. An estimated 85% of chronic LBP is of ambiguous etiology, and therefore unamenable to correction of an underlying condition. Pharmacological and surgical management of chronic LBP may have unwanted si…
Health Problem: Substance addiction is characterized by compulsive drug seeking, along with tolerance, dependence, craving, and relapse. Addiction and abuse of drugs, alcohol, and nicotine cost more than $740 billion a year in the United States, rooted in lost productivity, elevated crime, and increased healthcare costs.
Technology Description: The tech…
Health Problem: Fewer than half of the 70 million patients who undergo surgery in the United States every year report adequate postoperative pain relief. Controlling postoperative pain increases patient mobility, permits earlier return to activities of daily living, and reduces the risk for postoperative complications. Increasing awareness of issues on the safety of opioids ha…