Evidence-based guidelines for the management of lower urinary tract symptoms related to uncomplicated benign prostatic hyperplasia in Italy: updated summary

ABSTRACT

Background and scope: Despite the high prevalence and huge socio-economic impact of benign prostatic hyper­plasia (BPH) in Italy, no national guidelines have been produced so far. This is a summary of the first Italian guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) related to uncomplicated BPH, prepared by a multidisciplinary panel under the auspices of the Italian Association of Urologists and introduced in Italy in 2003. An update compiled by the authors is also included.

Methods: Relevant papers published from 1998 to 2003 (updated to 2006) were identified through a structured literature review and the quality of evidence presented therein was graded according to the Centre for the Evaluation of Effectiveness in Health Administration (CeVEAS) system. Recommendations were based on evidence from the literature, but also on feedback from practitioners and specialists.

Main findings/recommendations: Given the prevalence of BPH, all men aged ≥ 50 years of age should be asked about LUTS and informed about disease characteristics and therapeutic options, while sexual function should always be assessed in patients with severe and long-standing LUTS. Initial assessment should include medical history (including drug and co-morbidity history), digital rectal examination, urinalysis, International Prostate Symptom Score-Quality of Life (IPSS-QoL) and a voiding diary, while prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and measure­ment of prostate volume by suprapubic ultrasonography are indicated in fully informed patients with a life expectancy of ≥ 10 years in whom BPH progression could influence treatment choices. QoL considerations should dictate whether to start active treatment. When QoL is not affected by LUTS, watchful waiting is indicated if symptoms are mild, acceptable if they are moderate. When QoL is affected, medical therapy with α₁-blockers or 5α-reductase inhibitors (the latter indicated in patients with increased prostate volume) is appropriate. Combined therapy with α₁-blockers + 5α-reductase inhibitors should only be considered in patients at high risk for progression (prostate volume > 40?mL or PSA > 4?ng/mL), since the incremental cost of combination therapy vs. monotherapy with α₁?blockers or finasteride is prohibitive. Selection of the type of surgery should be based on the surgeon's experience, the presence of co-morbid conditions and the size of the prostate. Open prostatectomy and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) are recommended in patients with acute or chronic retention of urine, and acceptable in obstructed patients with moderate/severe symptoms and worsened QoL. Transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP) is acceptable when prostate volume is ≤ 30?mL. Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) may be proposed to motivated patients where expert surgeons are available. Transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) or transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) may be proposed to motivated patients who prefer to avoid surgery and/or do not respond to medical treatment. The possible effects of medical or surgical treatments on sexual function should always be discussed.

Conclusions: These guidelines are intended to provide a framework for health professionals involved in BPH management in order to facilitate decision-making in all areas and at all levels of healthcare.     

Lessons Learned from the Reimbursement Profile of a Mature Private Medical Toxicology Practice: Office-Based Practice Pays

We previously reported the financial data for the first 5 years of one of the author’s medical toxicology practice. The practice has matured; changes have been made. The practice is increasing its focus on office-based encounters and reducing hospital-based acute care encounters. We report the reimbursement rates and other financial metrics of the current practice. Financial records from October 2009 through September 2013 were reviewed. This is a period of 4 fiscal years and represents the currently available financial data. Charges, payments, and reimbursement rates were recorded according to the type and setting of the medical toxicology encounter: forensic consultations, outpatient clinic encounters, nonpsychiatric inpatient consultations, emergency department (ED) consultations, and inpatient psychiatric consultations. All patients were seen regardless of ability to pay or insurance status. The number of billed Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for office-based encounters increased over the study period; the number of billed CPT codes for inpatient and ED consultations reduced. Office-based encounters demonstrate a higher reimbursement rate and higher payments. In the fiscal year (FY) of 2012, office-based revenue exceeded hospital-based acute care revenue by over $140,000 despite a higher number of billed CPT encounters in acute care settings, and outpatient payments were 2.39 times higher than inpatient, inpatient psychiatry, observation unit, and ED payments combined. The average payment per CPT code was higher for outpatient clinic encounters than inpatient encounters for each fiscal year studied. There was an overall reduction in CPT billing volume between FY 2010 and FY 2013. Despite this, there was an increase in total practice revenue. There was no change in payor mix, practice logistics, or billing/collection service company. In this medical toxicology practice, office-based encounters demonstrate higher reimbursement rates and overall payments compared to inpatient and ED consultations. While consistent with our previous studies, these differences have been accentuated. This study demonstrates the results of changes to the practice—reduced inpatient/ED consultations and increased outpatient encounters. These practice changes resulted in higher overall revenue despite a lower patient volume. In this analysis, the office-based practice of medical toxicology has higher reimbursement rates, nearly 2.5 times higher, when compared to hospital-based acute care consultations.     

National Priority Setting of Clinical Practice Guidelines Development for Chronic Disease Management

By November 2013, a total of 125 clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been developed in Korea. However, despite the high burden of diseases and the clinical importance of CPGs, most chronic diseases do not have available CPGs. Merely 83 CPGs are related to chronic diseases, and only 40 guidelines had been developed in the last 5 yr. Considering the rate of the production of new evidence in medicine and the worsening burden from chronic diseases, the need for developing CPGs for more chronic diseases is becoming increasingly pressing. Since 2011, the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been jointly developing CPGs for chronic diseases. However, priorities have to be set and resources need to be allocated within the constraint of a limited funding. This study identifies the chronic diseases that should be prioritized for the development of CPGs in Korea. Through an objective assessment by using the analytic hierarchy process and a subjective assessment with a survey of expert opinion, high priorities were placed on ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer''s disease and other dementias, osteoarthritis, neck pain, chronic kidney disease, and cirrhosis of the liver.     

《临证指南医案》痹证用药特点分析

目的探讨《临证指南医案》痹证用药特点。方法 运用数据挖掘技术统计药物使用频次、性味归经并进行关联规则、聚类、复杂网络分析等。结果 筛选出83首处方,共涉及中药125味，使用频次前5位依次为桂枝、茯苓、白术、当归、苦杏仁，功效类别以补虚药为主，性味以甘温最多，归经主要涉及肺、脾、肝、心、肾、胃；关联规则得到10对常见组合，高频中药聚为4类，复杂网络分析得到1个核心组合。结论 叶氏常从络病角度治痹，或通、或补、或通补皆施，重视肺脾，注重调和气血营卫，擅长通补奇经治法。