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 | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | 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 | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | 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 | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
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 | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Culture/Society | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | North America -
ReviewPublication 2022Multicriteria Decision Analysis to Support Decision Making in Healthcare
This study reviews the application of multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) in healthcare, aiming to clarify …
This study reviews the application of multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) in healthcare, aiming to clarify its use across various decision-making contexts. The authors updated a 2013 systematic review by searching Embase, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar for English-language MCDA studies published from August 2013 to November 2020. Additionally, grey literature from January 1990 to November 2020 was reviewed via the Trip Medical Database and Google. Information on decision context, criteria, methods, stakeholders, and sensitivity analyses was…
Evidence Synthesis | Priority Setting/Ethics | Decision Analysis | Health/Medicine -
ReportPublication 2021Valuing COVID-19 Mortality and Morbidity Risks
In this report, the researchers develop an approach for valuing COVID-19 mortality and morbidity risk …
In this report, the researchers develop an approach for valuing COVID-19 mortality and morbidity risk reductions that builds on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Guidelines for Regulatory Impact Analysis. They review the differences between COVID-19 mortality risks and the types of risks that are more commonly studied, and find that the impacts of these differences on the value of mortality risk reductions (the value per statistical life, VSL) are uncertain. They…
Benefit-Cost Analysis | Preferences/Values | Infectious Diseases | Policy/Regulation | Government/Law | North America -
ReviewPublication 2020Public Health and Online Misinformation: Challenges and Recommendations
The internet has become a popular resource to learn about health and to investigate one's …
The internet has become a popular resource to learn about health and to investigate one's own health condition. However, given the large amount of inaccurate information online, people can easily become misinformed. Individuals have always obtained information from outside the formal health care system, so how has the internet changed people's engagement with health information? This review explores how individuals interact with health misinformation online, whether it be through search, user-generated content, or mobile apps.…
Evidence Synthesis | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | North America -
ReportPublication 2018Human Development Indices and Indicators: 2018 Statistical Update
This report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presents the latest reporting on key …
This report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presents the latest reporting on key human development indices and statistics. It provides a snapshot of current conditions and long-term trends and culminates with a comprehensive statistical annex of human development composite indices and indicators across several dimensions (e.g., health, education, poverty, and inequality). The publication emphasizes that while people are living longer and are more educated than ever before, this may not automatically translate to…
Evidence Synthesis | Health Outcomes | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Climate/Environment | Economics/Finance | Education/Labor | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
ReportPublication 2019Human Development Report 2019: Beyond Income, Beyond Averages, Beyond Today
This 2019 Human Development Report, published annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), explores …
This 2019 Human Development Report, published annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), explores the contemporary nature of inequalities in human development. Additional resources include digital versions and translations of the Report and the overview in more than 10 languages, an interactive web version of the Report, a set of background papers and think pieces commissioned for the Report, interactive data visualizations and databases of human development indicators, full explanations of the sources and…
Evidence Synthesis | Health Outcomes | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Climate/Environment | Economics/Finance | Education/Labor | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global