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 | Clinical Care | Infectious Diseases | 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 | Clinical Care | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | North America -
ArticlePublication 2022Comparison of Home Antigen Testing With RT-PCR and Viral Culture During the Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
As the availability of at-home self-collected antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 increases, understanding their efficacy is …
As the availability of at-home self-collected antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 increases, understanding their efficacy is crucial. A study in San Diego and Denver between January and May 2021 assessed the reliability of these tests against standard RT-PCR tests and viral cultures. Of the 225 participants with confirmed infections, the antigen test sensitivity was found to be 50% during the infectious period, 64% against the same-day RT-PCR, and 84% against the same-day cultures. Sensitivity was highest…
Test Performance | Clinical Care | Infectious Diseases | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
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 | Clinical Care | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
ArticlePublication 2022Cost-Effectiveness of Masked Hypertension Screening and Treatment
The study assessed the health and economic outcomes of screening and treating masked hypertension in …
The study assessed the health and economic outcomes of screening and treating masked hypertension in U.S. adults using the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Policy Model, a microsimulation model. The model simulated 100,000 adults suspected of having masked hypertension (office blood pressure [BP] of 120–129/<80 mm Hg, not on antihypertensive medications, and without a history of CVD). Interventions included: usual care alone, usual care with ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), and usual care with home BP monitoring (HBPM).…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Clinical Care | Microsimulation | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine | North America -
ArticlePublication 2022WHO ACTION-I Trial in Low Resource Countries
This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of dexamethasone administration in dexamethasone in pregnant women at risk …
This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of dexamethasone administration in dexamethasone in pregnant women at risk of early preterm birth using data from a multicentre, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Primary cost data were collected in 28 hospitals across the 5 countries. A decision tree model was used to compare dexamethasone treatment to no intervention from a health-care sector perspective. Administration of dexamethasone averted 38 neonatal deaths per 1000 woman–baby units…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Clinical Care | Health Outcomes | Mathematical Models | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Child/Nutrition | Global | Sub-Saharan Africa | Asia & Pacific -
ArticlePublication 2022Comparing Health Gains, Costs & Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions in Australia & New Zealand
This paper synthesizes the health gains, costs, and cost-effectiveness of health interventions in Australia and New …
This paper synthesizes the health gains, costs, and cost-effectiveness of health interventions in Australia and New Zealand (NZ) from studies conducted with comparable methods, and reports results in the form of an online interactive league table. Studies from the Australia Cost-Effectiveness research and NZ Burden of Disease Epidemiology, Equity and Cost-Effectiveness Programmes and studies were included which reported health-adjusted life years (HALYs) and net health system costs and/or incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, used a time horizon of…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Mental Health | Priority Setting/Ethics | Infectious Diseases | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | Asia & Pacific | Oceania -
ArticlePublication 2021Cost-Effectiveness of Hypertension Treatment by Pharmacists in Black Barbershops
The Los Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study (LABBPS) examined the effectiveness and cost of a …
The Los Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study (LABBPS) examined the effectiveness and cost of a one-year pharmacist-led hypertension care intervention in Black-owned barbershops in Los Angeles County, focused on non-Hispanic Black men with uncontrolled hypertension. Using a discrete event simulation, the researchers projected the 10-year health outcomes and health care costs associated with the intervention compared to a control group. The costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were calculated from a health care sector perspective, with…
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Clinical Care | Mathematical Models | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine | North America -
ReviewPublication 2021Users' Guide to Medical Decision Analysis
The article emphasizes the significance of decision analysis in aiding clinicians to make evidence-based choices …
The article emphasizes the significance of decision analysis in aiding clinicians to make evidence-based choices between testing and treatment strategies. While clinicians may not conduct decision analyses themselves, they often rely on publications or guidelines derived from them. The review outlines the structure of a decision tree and equips clinicians with the skills to critically evaluate decision analyses and implement their findings in medical decision-making. It highlights two critical judgments clinicians can make: first, assessing…
Decision Analysis | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine