From: CurtAdams@aol.com
Date: Fri Jun 07 2002 - 11:47:44 MDT
In a message dated 6/7/02 10:10:52, SmigrodzkiR@msx.upmc.edu writes:
SmigrodzkiR@msx.upmc.edu writes:
>From these inputs you should be able to assess the correlations between the
>use of medications and survival (weighted for QALY with the diagnoses and
>resource utilization data). You would observe the differential between
>the effects of generics and brand drugs. Once you have such correlations, you
>could ask if manipulating the frequency of brand drug introduction would
>have any effect on the system.
Actually, no; correlation is not causation. Human healthcare is very
important
to most humans and changing over time, so confounding influences are rampant.
You're also not going to measure what is supposed to be the big benefit of
IP, which is more rapid development of the protected drugs.
>One of the incidental suggestions I would have is to open medical records of
>deceased persons, so the necessary data could be easily collected (no
>privacy after death).
Generally I like this but most people get real touchy about privacy even after
death. Plus, it affects the privacy of the living, particularly with respect
to communicable diseases and reproduction.
>However, I am only
>suggesting developing methods for analysis of drug patents, and this should
>be somewhat easier.
It would certainly be better to know *something* than almost nothing.
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