Resources Repository
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ToolInteractive 2020COVID-19 Antibody Tests: Calculator for Interpreting Test Results
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. This interactive calculator, linked to the article …
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. This interactive calculator, linked to the article below* on antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2 virus, allows users to vary the prior probability of infection, the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing, and the specificity of SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. Key points made in the article accompanying the interactive include: (1) antibody testing is likely to be most useful 2 weeks after infection, (2) sensitivity and specificity will vary over time and…
Test Performance | Clinical Care | Probability/Bayes | Technology Assessment | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
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 | Clinical Care | Probability/Bayes | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine -
Tools/ModelsInteractive, Teaching Resource 2020Interactive Graphic: Interpreting a COVID-19 Test Result
Currently, the most common diagnostic test for COVID-19 relies on reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction …
Currently, the most common diagnostic test for COVID-19 relies on reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and most often uses samples obtained from the respiratory tract by nasopharyngeal swab. This interactive graphic demonstrates the influence of the prior probability of COVID-19, the test sensitivity (i.e., the probability of a positive test conditional on disease presence), and the test specificity (i.e., the probability of a negative test conditional on disease absence) on the post-test probability of…
Test Performance | Clinical Care | Probability/Bayes | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | High School | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Graphics/Visualization | Quantitative Literacy -
ArticlePublication 2020Weighing Evidence to Inform Clinical Decisions
The authors use a clinical example to simulate how treatment discussions can be complicated when new evidence is introduced …
The authors use a clinical example to simulate how treatment discussions can be complicated when new evidence is introduced that conflicts with existing guidelines. Even when evidence is consistent, the authors point out that current guidelines can have interpretations that don't agree with available evidence. They develop a step-wise algorithm to help guide individual clinical decisions even in the absence of general consensus related to appropriate testing and treatment.
Evidence Synthesis | Clinical Care | Priority Setting/Ethics | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2020Clinical Decision Making: Using a Diagnostic Test
This article is part of a 6-part series on clinical decision making. The authors use …
This article is part of a 6-part series on clinical decision making. The authors use two clinical examples to review the principles of interpreting diagnostic test results. They outline an approach that can be used to determine how to select and apply tests and their results to the practice of internal medicine. Topics covered in the two case studies include sensitivity and specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive value of tests, and how to estimate…
Test Performance | Clinical Care | Probability/Bayes | Health/Medicine -
DataWeb Portal 2024Global Health Observatory Data Portal
This data portal is the World Health Organization's (WHO) main health statistics repository. The Global …
This data portal is the World Health Organization's (WHO) main health statistics repository. The Global Health Observatory (GHO) provides access to more than 1,000 indicators on priority health topics including mortality and burden of diseases, the Sustainable Development Goals, noncommunicable diseases and risk factors, epidemic-prone diseases, health systems, environmental health, violence and injuries, and health equity. In addition, the GHO provides access to WHO's analytical reports on the current status and trends of priority health…
Evidence Synthesis | Mental Health | Infectious Diseases | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Injuries/Accidents | Health Systems | Global Governance | Health/Medicine | Global -
ReportPublication 2017DCP3: Improving Health and Reducing Poverty
This report from the World Bank is the ninth and final volume of the Disease …
This report from the World Bank is the ninth and final volume of the Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (DCP3) series. It provides an overview of the findings and methods explored in the first eight volumes, placing them within a framework that identifies an efficient pathway toward essential universal health coverage through the implementation of 21 essential packages that include health interventions and fiscal and intersectoral policies. The Disease Control Priorities Network (DCP) promotes and…
Evidence Synthesis | Mental Health | Costing Methods | Health Outcomes | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Injuries/Accidents | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Global Governance | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
ReportPublication 2016DCP3: Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders
This report from the World Bank is the fourth volume of the Disease Control Priorities, …
This report from the World Bank is the fourth volume of the Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (DCP3) series. It discusses the prevalence of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders, as well as the associated disability and premature mortality that can accompany them. Despite the high social and economic burden of these diseases on individuals, families, and communities, these disorders have been systematically neglected, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and there has been limited…
Evidence Synthesis | Mental Health | Costing Methods | Health Outcomes | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Health Systems | Global Governance | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Global -
ReportPublication 2015DCP3: Essential Surgery
This report from the World Bank is the first volume of the Disease Control Priorities, …
This report from the World Bank is the first volume of the Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (DCP3) series. Essential Surgery presents data on the surgical burden of disease, disability, congenital abnormalities, and trauma, as well as the health impact and economic analysis of procedures. This report identifies 44 procedures that address substantial needs, are cost effective, and are feasible to implement in low- and middle-income countries. If made universally available, these 44 procedures could…
Evidence Synthesis | Clinical Care | Costing Methods | Health Outcomes | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Injuries/Accidents | Health Systems | Global Governance | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global