Resources Repository
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ReviewPublication 2021Considerations for Diagnostic COVID-19 Tests
During the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rush by numerous diagnostic …
During the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a rush by numerous diagnostic test manufacturers to create, validate, and implement testing methods. This review discusses the pivotal role of diagnostic tests during the pandemic's first global wave, highlighting the challenges in technology and implementation experienced early on. The study also offers insights for enhancing the use of diagnostics, especially syndromic ones, should there be future spikes or regional outbreaks of COVID-19. The overarching…
Test Performance | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | North America -
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 | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | 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 | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Clinical Care | 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 | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Clinical Care -
ReviewPublication 2023Handbook of Vaccine Health Economics
The open-access book, "Handbook of Applied Health Economics in Vaccines," looks at the complexities of …
The open-access book, "Handbook of Applied Health Economics in Vaccines," looks at the complexities of vaccine discovery, financing, and distribution. It highlights the inadequacy of standard economic models for vaccines. The book explores alternative principles challenging market-based approaches and equips readers with tools for assessing costs and benefits through practical exercises. It serves as a comprehensive resource for decision-making in vaccine development and distribution and emphasizes the importance of considering broader perspectives beyond economic efficiency.…
Evidence Synthesis | Health Outcomes | Health/Medicine | Costing Methods | Decision Analysis | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Policy/Regulation | Global | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional -
ReviewPublication 2018Primary & Secondary Prevention Interventions for Cardiovascular Disease in LMIC's
Motivated by the need for evidence on cardiovascular disease (CVD) interventions offering good value for …
Motivated by the need for evidence on cardiovascular disease (CVD) interventions offering good value for the money, the authors conducted a systematic review, including 50 studies. Included studies were those that reported full economic evaluations of individual and population-based interventions (pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic), for primary and secondary prevention of CVD among adults in LMIC. The majority of the studies were of modelled evaluations, with significant heterogeneity in methods. Most of the economic evaluations evaluated were…
Evidence Synthesis | Health Outcomes | Health/Medicine | Costing Methods | Chronic Disease/Risk | Global -
ReviewPublication 2017Quality of Life as an Outcome of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
The recent opioid epidemic has prompted renewed interest in opioid use disorder treatment, but there …
The recent opioid epidemic has prompted renewed interest in opioid use disorder treatment, but there is little evidence regarding health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) outcomes in treatment programs. Measuring HRQoL represents an opportunity to consider outcomes of opioid use disorder treatment that are more patient-centered and more relevant to overall health than abstinence alone. This systematic literature review explores the extent to which the collection of HRQoL by opioid treatment programs is documented in the treatment program literature.…
Evidence Synthesis | Health Outcomes | Health/Medicine | Preferences/Values | Chronic Disease/Risk | Mental Health | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Economics/Finance -
ReviewPublication 2001Modeling for Health Care and Other Policy Decisions: Uses, Roles and Validity
This is a review article of the role of modeling approaches to guide decision making …
This is a review article of the role of modeling approaches to guide decision making in health care and other domains. The role of models to support recommendations on the cost-effective use of medical technologies and pharmaceuticals is controversial. At the heart of the controversy is the degree to which experimental or other empirical evidence should be required prior to model use. The authors argue that the controversy stems in part from a misconception that…
Evidence Synthesis | Energy/Engineering | Health/Medicine | Priority Setting/Ethics | Mathematical Models | Technology Assessment | Environmental Health | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Business/Industry | Climate/Environment | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | North America -
ReviewPublication 2023Modelling the Cost Effectiveness of Treatments for Parkinson's Disease: Methodological Review
This article systematically reviewed the methodological quality of economic evaluation models for treating motor symptoms …
This article systematically reviewed the methodological quality of economic evaluation models for treating motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease in studies published post-2010. Methods included a systematic literature search using databases such as PubMed, EconLit, Cochrane, and several UK National Health Service databases, covering March 2010 to July 2022. The quality of the identified studies was assessed using a checklist from the German Scientific Working Group. Results showed that 20 studies were evaluated, most employing Markov…
Evidence Synthesis | Health/Medicine | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk