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 | North America | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
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 | North America | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
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 | North America | 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 | North America | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Culture/Society | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine -
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 | North America | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine -
GuidelinesPublication 2016Decision Models in Clinical Preventive Services Recommendations
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) develops evidence-based recommendations about preventive care based on …
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) develops evidence-based recommendations about preventive care based on comprehensive systematic reviews of the best available evidence. Decision models provide a complementary, quantitative approach to support the USPSTF as it deliberates about the evidence and develops recommendations for clinical and policy use. This article describes the rationale for using modeling, an approach to selecting topics for modeling, and how modeling may inform recommendations about clinical preventive services.
Evidence Synthesis | North America | Health Outcomes | Mathematical Models | Decision Analysis | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Health/Medicine -
GuidelinesPublication 2016Second Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine
This article provides an overview of the main recommendations of the 2016 Second Panel on …
This article provides an overview of the main recommendations of the 2016 Second Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine. In 1993, the U.S. Public Health Service convened the first panel of experts to review the state of cost-effectiveness analysis and to develop guidelines for its use in health, to improve quality and promote comparability. Scientists and scholars in economics, clinical medicine, ethics, and statistics met to share expertise and develop recommendations by consensus. The…
Evidence Synthesis | North America | Priority Setting/Ethics | Costing Methods | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Technology Assessment | Health/Medicine -
GuidelinesPublication 2015USPSTF Procedure Manual
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Procedure Manual describes the methods used by the …
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Procedure Manual describes the methods used by the Task Force to ensure that its recommendations are scientifically sound, reproducible, and well documented. The Manual provides a high-level description of the Task Force’s structure, governance, and processes for selecting topics, reviewing evidence, soliciting and responding to public input, and arriving at a recommendation. It is intended as a guide for anyone who is interested in the Task Force, Task…
Evidence Synthesis | North America | Priority Setting/Ethics | Technology Assessment | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Government/Law | Health/Medicine -
ReviewPublication 2015Economic Evaluation of Diet and Physical Activity to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: Systematic Review
Studies indicate that combined diet and physical activity promotion programs can prevent type 2 diabetes …
Studies indicate that combined diet and physical activity promotion programs can prevent type 2 diabetes among persons at increased risk. This paper systematically evaluates the evidence on cost, cost-effectiveness, and cost–benefit estimates of diet and physical activity promotion programs. English-language studies from high-income countries that provided data on cost, cost-effectiveness, or cost–benefit ratios of diet and physical activity promotion programs with at least 2 sessions over at least 3 months delivered to persons at increased risk…
Evidence Synthesis | North America | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Food/Agriculture | Health/Medicine | Europe | Asia & Pacific