Resources Repository
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ReviewPublication 2022Rapid, Point-of-Care Antigen Tests for Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
This study reviewed the diagnostic accuracy of rapid, point-of-care antigen tests for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection, …
This study reviewed the diagnostic accuracy of rapid, point-of-care antigen tests for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection, differentiating results between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Using data from 155 study cohorts, the study found that the sensitivity of antigen tests was generally higher for symptomatic individuals, especially during the first week after symptom onset, due to higher viral loads. For example, average sensitivity was higher in symptomatic (73.0%) compared to asymptomatic participants (54.7). Average sensitivity was higher in…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | North America -
ReviewPublication 2022Significance of Advanced COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing in Pandemic Control Measures
Over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has mounted significant …
Over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has mounted significant efforts to combat the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 virus. Despite substantial progress in vaccines and treatments, leading to lower hospitalization and death rates, the virus has continued to evolve, primarily through mutations. From the onset, diagnostic tests have been crucial in identifying and controlling the virus spread. The scientific world has pioneered various diagnostic techniques, including nucleic acid, antigen, and antibody-based…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | North America -
ReviewPublication 2022Diagnostics for COVID-19: Moving from Pandemic Response to Control
Diagnostics are essential in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, with three primary methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 …
Diagnostics are essential in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, with three primary methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections. Each test type remains vital as we shift from responding to controlling the pandemic. Molecular tests, like PCR, are highly precise in identifying viral RNA and are endorsed by the WHO for confirming cases and guiding public health actions. Antigen rapid tests spot viral proteins and, while less accurate than molecular tests, are quicker, more affordable, simpler, and can…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
GuidelinesPublication 2018Latent TB Infection: Updated & Consolidated Guidelines for Programmatic Management
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is defined as a state of persistent immune response to stimulation …
Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is defined as a state of persistent immune response to stimulation by Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens with no evidence of clinically manifest active TB. Up to one third of the world’s population is estimated to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and on average, 5–10% of those who are infected will develop active TB disease over their lifetime. The management of LTBI involves a comprehensive package of interventions: identifying and testing those individuals…
Evidence Synthesis | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine | Global -
ReviewPublication 2016Dynamic Transmission Economic Evaluation of Infectious Disease in LMIC
Economic evaluation using dynamic transmission models is important for capturing the indirect effects of infectious …
Economic evaluation using dynamic transmission models is important for capturing the indirect effects of infectious disease interventions. The authors examine the use of these methods in low- and middle-income countries, where infectious diseases constitute a major burden. The review is comprised of two parts: (1) a summary of dynamic transmission economic evaluations across all disease areas published between 2011 and mid-2014 and (2) an in-depth review of mosquito-borne disease studies focusing on health economic methods…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Dynamic Transmission | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Sub-Saharan Africa | Middle East & North Africa | Latin America & Caribbean | Asia & Pacific -
ReviewPublication 2015Medicare's Use of CEA for Prevention (But Not Treatment)
Medicare currently pays for 23 preventive services in its benefits package, the majority of which …
Medicare currently pays for 23 preventive services in its benefits package, the majority of which were added since 2005. In the past decade, the program has transformed from one essentially administering treatment claims, to one increasingly focused on health promotion and maintenance. What is largely unappreciated is the role cost-effectiveness analysis has played in the coverage of preventive services. This study reviews the role of cost-effectiveness analysis in Medicare coverage of preventive services and contrast it…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Priority Setting/Ethics | Technology Assessment | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | North America -
ReviewPublication 2013Role of Health Economic Analyses in Vaccine Decision Making
Beginning in the 20th century with the consideration of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in …
Beginning in the 20th century with the consideration of the seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the US, cost effectiveness became a topic of discussion when a vaccine was being considered for universal use by the US Advisory Committee on Immunization practices (ACIP). In 2008, the ACIP began using formal criteria for the presentation of such data and their inclusion in ACIP discussions. More recently, the U.S. Institute of Medicine has recommended that health economic considerations play a…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Priority Setting/Ethics | Health Systems | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | North America -
GuidelinesPublication 2013Decision and Simulation Modeling in Systematic Reviews
The purpose of this review is to provide guidance for determining when incorporating a decision-analytic …
The purpose of this review is to provide guidance for determining when incorporating a decision-analytic model alongside a systemic review would be of added value for decision making purposes. The purpose of systematic reviews is to synthesize the current scientific literature on a particular topic in the form of evidence reports and technology assessments to assist public and private organizations in developing strategies that improve the quality of health care and decision making. However, there…
Evidence Synthesis | Infectious Diseases | Mathematical Models | Decision Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine | North America -
GuidelinesPublication 2011HPV Vaccine Introduction in LMIC's: Guidance on the Use of Cost-Effectiveness Models
This article is a literature review of HPV vaccination models suitable for low-income and middle-income …
This article is a literature review of HPV vaccination models suitable for low-income and middle-income country use to provide information about the feasibility of using such models in a developing country setting. The authors evaluated models in terms of their capacity, requirements, limitations and comparability. Their literature review identified six HPV vaccination models suitable for low-income and middle-income country use and representative of the literature in terms of provenance and model structure. Each model was…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Mathematical Models | Calibration/Validation | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global