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M Pekurinen

Publications and source records attributed to M Pekurinen.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Monetary value of lost productivity over a five year follow up in early rheumatoid arthritis estimated on the basis of official register data on patients' sickness absence and gross income: experience from the FIN-RACo trial.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the monetary value of rheumatoid arthritis related loss of productivity in patients with early active disease. METHODS: In a prospective cohort substudy of the FIN-RACo Trial, 162 patients with recent onset rheumatoid arthritis, aged 18 to 65 years and available to the workforce, were followed up for five years. Loss of work productivity in euros 2002 was estimated by data on absence for sickness and on income (human capital approach) from official databases. Treatment responses were evaluated by area under the curve (AUC) of the ACR-N measure and by increase in number of erosions in radiographs of hands and feet. The health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) at six months was linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). RESULTS: In all, 120 (75%) patients, women more often (82%) than men (61%) (p=0.002), lost work days. The mean lost productivity per patient-year was euro7217 (95% confidence interval (CI), 5561 to 9148): for women, euro6477 (4858 to 8536) and for men, euro8443 (5389 to 12,898). There was an inverse correlation with improvement: euro1101 (323 to 2156) and euro14 952 (10,662 to 19,852) for the highest and lowest quartiles of AUC of ARC-N, respectively. Lost productivity was associated with increase in the number of erosions and with disability in "changing and maintaining body position" subcategory of the ICF. CONCLUSIONS: Despite remission targeted treatment with disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, early rheumatoid arthritis results in substantial loss of productivity. A good improvement in the disease reduces the loss markedly.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Quality-of-life measures and clinical parameters in asthmatics during three year follow-up.

Two types of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) index, the disease-specific St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the generic 15D, were compared for indication of HRQoL changes and correlation with clinical parameters in 157 newly diagnosed asthmatics. The asthmatics were treated with inhaled anti-inflammatory therapy. Measurements at baseline, and after one and three years treatment. Both HRQoL indices indicated a significant improvement in HRQoL during treatment. The changes in total HRQoL scores correlated moderately well. Changes in airway responsiveness correlated fairly well with those of the total SGRQ score (r = 0.29 between baseline and one yr treatment and 0.36 between baseline and three yrs treatment, p < 0.001) and with those of 15D (r = 0.21 between baseline and three yrs treatment; p < 0.05). This may indicate that airway hyperresponsiveness influences the personal assessment of HRQoL. On the other hand, the varying correlation between lung function and HRQoL scores may indicate that they measure largely unrelated factors. Both the disease-specific and the generic health-related quality-of-life indices changed with treatment and indicated an improved health-related quality-of-life for mild asthmatics during a three-year treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Snow sweat.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Economic Competition↗
PubMed1989

Re-organizing primary medical care in Finland: the personal doctor program.

This article reports the results of an evaluation of the 'Personal Doctor Program' in Finland, a demonstration project to re-structure the primary medical activities of general practitioners within publicly operated health centers. The goal of the personal doctor program is to achieve the clinical advantages and performance incentives of enrolling each citizen on a specific general practitioners's list, but within the broader team-based and demographic responsibility framework of a primary health center. The background and methodology of the project is presented, followed by the methodology and analysis of the evaluation itself. The two key conclusions from this assessment suggest that the personal doctor approach considerably improved the quality of primary medical care within the health center, and that publicly salaried physicians produce at least the same overall value as their privately employed counterparts.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1989

The demand for tobacco products in Finland.

Four time-series models are introduced for analysing the demand for addictive substances. The models are applied to estimate the demand for tobacco products in Finland. Separate models were found appropriate for different products. The price of cigarettes is the most important single determinant of the demand for tobacco products. The demand for cigarettes is twice as sensitive to falling prices (elasticity - 0.94) than to rising prices (elasticity - 0.49). The demand for cigarettes is also responsive to changes in real income. The most important factor influencing the demand for pipe tobacco is the price of cigarettes. The demand for cigars is adequately explained by changes in its price. The 1977 Tobacco Act and the anti-smoking publicity preceding it appear to have reduced the cigarette demand permanently by 7%. The results imply that taxation would seem a powerful instrument for achieving the objectives of restricting consumption of tobacco products and raising government revenue. Yet, taxation together with extensive anti-smoking publicity would have a more advantageous effect than either of them used in isolation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Price, policy and consumption of tobacco: the Finnish experience.

This paper demonstrates that while price policy provides a powerful tool for deterring tobacco consumption, the objectives of general economic policy may hamper its effective usage. It is shown that even comprehensive legislative and administrative actions may be ineffective unless they are supported by price measures.

Finland↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Does prevention of cardiovascular diseases lead to decreased cost of illness? Twenty years of experience from Finland.

BACKGROUND: During the past 20 years the age-standardized cardiovascular disease mortality rate has declined in Finland by 50%. The aim of this study was to examine the social cost consequences of this decline. METHODS: The prevalence-based cost-of-illness analysis was applied to estimate both direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular disease in 5-year intervals from 1972 to 1992 (in 1992 prices). Summary data from the national registers covered all persons with cardiovascular disease who were treated, received sickness insurance benefits, or died from the disease. RESULTS: Direct health care costs increased, but the decline in indirect costs overcompensated that increase. The total cost among all persons age 35 and over, including the retired, was $2.7 billion in 1972 and $2.6 billion in 1992, which is a 4% decrease. In the age group of 35-64 years the total costs fell from $2.5 billion to $1.9 billion (25%). In terms of cost per capita the decline was 26 and 40% in the respective age groups. CONCLUSIONS: The costs of cardiovascular disease decreased since 1972. However, total costs declined clearly less than the cardiovascular disease mortality rate. This implies that considerable savings in total costs, especially in direct health care costs, may not be expected as a result of even very successful prevention programs.

Adult↗