Resources Repository
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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…
Science/Technology | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
EditorialPublication 2021Scientific and Regulatory Challenges in Designing mHealth Interventions
Scientists looking for innovative ways to deliver health care have long searched for mechanisms that …
Scientists looking for innovative ways to deliver health care have long searched for mechanisms that can enable the right intervention to be delivered at the right time. Traditional delivery mechanisms have been limited both to the availability of a provider (e.g., a physician) and the location of care (e.g., a hospital or outpatient clinic). In recent years, however, numerous technological advancements—including wearable devices, mobile technologies, and the widespread development and use of user-friendly smartphone applications—have…
Technology Assessment | Science/Technology | Health/Medicine | North America -
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…
Science/Technology | Probability/Bayes | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine | Global -
ReportPublication 2019Top 10 Health Economics and Outcomes Research Trends
As governments and other payers struggle with provision of the best possible health outcomes at …
As governments and other payers struggle with provision of the best possible health outcomes at affordable costs, the field of health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) has experienced rapid growth. The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics Outcomes Research (ISPOR) produced the ISPOR 2019 Top 10 HEOR Trends which serves to outline the top 10 that the Society members identified that will be the most impactful during 2019. Development of this report included a comprehensive review and…
Science/Technology | Health Outcomes | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Global Governance | Health/Medicine | Global -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2018Resource Pack: Models for Health Decision Science
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, provides broad exposure to …
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, provides broad exposure to mathematical models used in health decision science (e.g., microsimulation, dynamic transmission, agent-based, etc.). Resources include overviews, guidelines, tutorials, and applications relevant to a broad range of clinical and public health topics. A decision analytic approach relies on the use of a mathematical model to formally structure the components of the decision over time. Models are particularly useful when multiple data sources…
Mathematical Models | Science/Technology | State-Transition | Dynamic Transmission | Microsimulation | Dynamic Simulation | Climate/Environment | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2017When Cost-Effective Interventions Are Unaffordable
Many health interventions deemed cost-effective are not affordable. Despite the importance of affordability to policymakers, …
Many health interventions deemed cost-effective are not affordable. Despite the importance of affordability to policymakers, little of the cost-effectiveness literature in global health addresses this issue. Budget impact analysis (BIA) describes an intervention's short-term costs and savings from the payer's perspective. This paper assesses the current use of budget impact analysis (BIA) and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) in health economic assessments conducted for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The authors recommend steps researchers and policymakers can…
Science/Technology | Priority Setting/Ethics | Costing Methods | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Global -
Tools/ModelsPublication, Teaching Resource 2017Publicly Available Software Tools for Decision-Makers During an Emergent Epidemic
Epidemics and emerging infectious diseases are becoming an increasing threat to global populations-challenging public health …
Epidemics and emerging infectious diseases are becoming an increasing threat to global populations-challenging public health practitioners, decision makers and researchers to plan, prepare, identify and respond to outbreaks in near real-timeframes. The aim of this research is to evaluate the range of public domain and freely available software epidemic modelling tools. Twenty freely utilizable software tools underwent assessment of software usability, utility and key functionalities. Stochastic and agent based tools were found to be highly…
Mathematical Models | Science/Technology | Dynamic Transmission | Dynamic Simulation | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Climate/Environment | Health/Medicine | Global | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Quantitative Literacy -
Resource PortalPublication, Teaching Resource 2017Immunization Financing: A Resource Guide
This resource guide compiles 26 briefs on topics related to the cost and financing of …
This resource guide compiles 26 briefs on topics related to the cost and financing of national immunization programs in low- and middle-income countries. The guide provides information and analysis to help advocates, policymakers, and program managers assess different financing options, approaches to strategic purchasing, and strategies for policy change, incorporating recent country experience in these areas. The guide is an update to the Immunization Financing Toolkit: A Resource for Policy-Makers and Program Managers, published by…
Science/Technology | Priority Setting/Ethics | Costing Methods | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Global Governance | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Sub-Saharan Africa | Middle East & North Africa | Latin America & Caribbean | Asia & Pacific | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Decision Making/Leadership | Policy Translation | Quantitative Literacy -
ArticlePublication 2016Essential Package of Cancer Control: Costs, Affordability, and Feasibility of an Essential Package of Cancer Control Interventions in LMIC Countries
Investments in cancer control-prevention, detection, diagnosis, surgery, palliative care-are needed in low-income and particularly in …
Investments in cancer control-prevention, detection, diagnosis, surgery, palliative care-are needed in low-income and particularly in middle-income countries, where most of the world's cancer deaths occur without treatment or palliation. To help countries expand locally appropriate services, Disease Control Priorities, 3rd edition developed an essential package of potentially cost-effective measures for countries to consider and adapt. Interventions included in the package are: prevention of tobacco-related cancer and virus-related liver and cervical cancers; diagnosis and treatment of…
Science/Technology | Costing Methods | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | Global