Resources Repository
-
ReviewPublication 2022Systematic Review of Economic Evaluations of COVID-19 Interventions: Non-Health Impacts and Distributional Issues
The authors conducted a systematic review of economic evaluations of COVID-19 interventions and assessed whether …
The authors conducted a systematic review of economic evaluations of COVID-19 interventions and assessed whether they incorporated non-health impacts and distributional concerns. Among the 70 articles included, more than half (56%) included at least one non-health impact, although only 21% incorporated non-economic consequences. Only 17% examined subgroups of interest. The median ICER for the entire sample was $67,000/quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) (interquartile range [IQR] $9000-$893,000/QALY). Interventions including a pharmaceutical component yielded a median ICER of $93,000/QALY (IQR…
Evidence Synthesis | Infectious Diseases | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Social Determinants | Culture/Society | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | North America -
ArticlePublication 2022Hospitalization Costs for COVID-19 in Ethiopia: Empirical Data and Analysis from Addis Ababa's Largest Dedicated Treatment Center
This study examines the comprehensive costs of hospitalization for COVID-19 disease at Ekka Kotebe COVID-19 …
This study examines the comprehensive costs of hospitalization for COVID-19 disease at Ekka Kotebe COVID-19 treatment center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the largest dedicated hospital for COVID-19 patient care in the country. Through retrospective collection and analysis of clinical and cost data from March to November 2020, including personnel time, drugs, medical supplies, and facility utilities, the study estimates the cost per treated COVID-19 episode stratified by disease severity. Over the study period, 2,543 COVID-19…
Costing Methods | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine | Sub-Saharan Africa -
ArticlePublication 2022Child Health Inequity through Case Management of Under-Five Malaria in Nigeria: An ECEA
This study assesses the potential impact of subsidies covering the direct and indirect costs of …
This study assesses the potential impact of subsidies covering the direct and indirect costs of under-five malaria case management in Nigeria, utilizing an extended cost-effectiveness analysis (ECEA) and a decision tree model. Findings reveal that fully subsidizing medical, non-medical, and indirect costs could annually avert over 19,000 under-five deaths, 8,600 cases of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE), and US$187 million in out-of-pocket (OOP) spending. Per US$1 million invested, this translates to a significant reduction in under-five…
Health Outcomes | Infectious Diseases | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Policy/Regulation | Health/Medicine | Sub-Saharan Africa -
ArticlePublication 2020Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Recently, the UK government has made …
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Recently, the UK government has made antibody testing available to anyone wanting it, even if there is no clinical indication. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance for when to consider antibody testing in individuals with and without symptoms suggestive of current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Key points made by the authors include: (1) antibody testing is likely to be most useful 2 weeks…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Probability/Bayes | Technology Assessment | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2020Bayes' Theorem, COVID-19, and Screening Tests
This article reviews the implications of increased testing for COVID-19 using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain …
This article reviews the implications of increased testing for COVID-19 using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) through the application of Bayes’ Theorem for three hypothetical, stylized case scenarios. The scenarios involve three patients with a low, moderate, and high pre-test probability of COVID-19 infection. The category of low probability would include "asymptomatic individuals in a presumed low prevalence environment" and might vary from 10 to 20%. The category of moderate probability would include "individuals…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Probability/Bayes | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2020Interpreting COVID-19 Test Results: A Bayesian Approach
This article considers the following question with respect to interpreting the results of polymerase chain reaction …
This article considers the following question with respect to interpreting the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays from nasal and pharyngeal swabs for COVID-19 to inform clinical decision making: "While a positive result in an acutely ill patient is straightforward, how should physicians interpret negative tests in patients with suspected COVID-19 infection?" Using an assumption of near-perfect specificity of PCR assays for COVID-19, the authors acknowledge the uncertainty of test sensitivity. They consider two clinical scenarios…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Probability/Bayes | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
ArticlePublication 2019Systematic Review of Economic Evaluations of Vaccination Strategies Against Tuberculosis
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only licensed vaccine for tuberculosis, but its effectiveness is limited …
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only licensed vaccine for tuberculosis, but its effectiveness is limited and varies by age, so a valid cost-effectiveness study is needed to assist decision-makers in the implementation of cost-effective strategies for BCG vaccination. Using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument, the authors assessed the quality of published studies involving economic evaluations of BCG vaccination strategies in a variety of regions, target populations, and vaccine types. Most of the…
Evidence Synthesis | Infectious Diseases | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Health/Medicine | Global -
ArticlePublication 2019Decision-Making for Universal Access to Tuberculosis Diagnosis In India
The authors evaluated the costs of centralized and decentralized testing for tuberculosis with Xpert MTB/RIF …
The authors evaluated the costs of centralized and decentralized testing for tuberculosis with Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert), a WHO-endorsed test. They used an agent-based simulation of TB transmission in a hypothetical representative region in India to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of various strategies to provide universal access to diagnosis and drug susceptibility testing (DST) for tuberculosis. The authors found that decentralization was most favorable compared to centralized testing when volume at decentralized facilities was high,…
Microsimulation | Infectious Diseases | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Health/Medicine | Asia & Pacific -
ArticlePublication 2019POC Diagnosis of TB With Truenat Assay: CEA for India's Public Sector
Using a microsimulation model, the authors compared four TB diagnostic strategies for HIV-negative adults with …
Using a microsimulation model, the authors compared four TB diagnostic strategies for HIV-negative adults with presumptive TB in order to evaluate the potential cost-effectiveness of strategies that incorporate Truenat, a molecular assay that rapidly detects TB and rifampicin-resistance. They projected life expectancy, costs, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), and 5-year budget impact of deploying Truenat POC in India's public sector. Used at the point-of-care in India, Truenat for TB diagnosis should improve linkage-to-care, increase life expectancy,…
Microsimulation | Infectious Diseases | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Health/Medicine | Asia & Pacific