Resources Repository
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ArticlePublication 2020Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Recently, the UK government has made …
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Recently, the UK government has made antibody testing available to anyone wanting it, even if there is no clinical indication. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance for when to consider antibody testing in individuals with and without symptoms suggestive of current or past SARS-CoV-2 infection. Key points made by the authors include: (1) antibody testing is likely to be most useful 2 weeks…
Probability/Bayes | Technology Assessment | Health/Medicine | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care -
ArticlePublication 2008Cost-Effectiveness of Rapid Point-of-Care Prenatal Syphilis Screening in Sub-Saharan Africa
This paper investigates the cost-effectiveness of using rapid point-of-care tests for prenatal syphilis screening among …
This paper investigates the cost-effectiveness of using rapid point-of-care tests for prenatal syphilis screening among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with syphilis prevalence rates as high as 17%, and where traditional multi-test screening methods have been challenging to implement. Focusing on newly available rapid point-of-care screening tests, strategies differed by the initial test [rapid plasma reagin (RPR), immunochromographic strip (ICS)], need for confirmation with Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay, and number of visits required.…
Technology Assessment | Health/Medicine | Costing Methods | Test Performance | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Clinical Care | Sub-Saharan Africa -
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…
Probability/Bayes | Health/Medicine | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care -
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…
Probability/Bayes | Health/Medicine | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Science/Technology | Global -
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…
Probability/Bayes | Health/Medicine | Test Performance | Clinical Care -
ArticlePublication 2017Costs of Facility-Based HIV Testing in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Providing HIV testing at health facilities remains the most common approach to ensuring access to …
Providing HIV testing at health facilities remains the most common approach to ensuring access to HIV treatment and prevention services for the millions of undiagnosed HIV-infected individuals in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors sought to explore the costs of providing these services across three southern African countries with high HIV burden.Primary costing studies were undertaken in 54 health facilities providing HIV testing services (HTS) in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Routinely collected monitoring and evaluation data for…
Technology Assessment | Health/Medicine | Costing Methods | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Sub-Saharan Africa -
OrganizationWeb Portal 2024American Public Health Association
The American Public Health Association (APHA), was founded in 1872 dedicated to improving the health …
The American Public Health Association (APHA), was founded in 1872 dedicated to improving the health of all U.S. residents. Two of the Association’s most important functions are advocacy for adoption by the government of the most current scientific advances relevant to public health, and public education on how to improve community health. Along with these efforts, they have also campaigned for developing well-organized health departments at both the federal and local levels. In 1966, APHA…
Technology Assessment | Health/Medicine | Health Outcomes | Evidence Synthesis | Infectious Diseases | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Mental Health | Injuries/Accidents | Environmental Health | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Global | North America -
OrganizationWeb Portal 2024International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI)
The International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI) is a global network of health, policy and economic …
The International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI) is a global network of health, policy and economic expertise, working to achieve Universal Health Coverage and The Health Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3). They are committed to robust evidence, analysis and decision-making that policymakers, funders and researchers can use to balance trade-offs between different policy options and model potential results to make the best choice available. They support countries to make better decisions about how much public money…
Technology Assessment | Health/Medicine | Priority Setting/Ethics | Costing Methods | Health Outcomes | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Global -
OrganizationWeb Portal 2024PATH
PATH is an international nonprofit organization that has been translating ideas into health solutions for …
PATH is an international nonprofit organization that has been translating ideas into health solutions for 40 years, with a focus on child survival, maternal and reproductive health, and infectious diseases. PATH mobilizes partners around the world in order to take innovation to scale, working alongside countries primarily in Africa and Asia to tackle their greatest health needs. PATH takes a multidimensional approach to solving health challenges, with work spanning five platforms: Vaccines to give children a…
Technology Assessment | Health/Medicine | Costing Methods | Health Outcomes | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Child/Nutrition | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Global | Sub-Saharan Africa | Asia & Pacific