Resources Repository
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ArticlePublication 2021Correct COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation: Lancet Commission on COVID-19 Vaccines & Therapeutics Task Force Members
This brief “primer” assists healthcare providers in correcting a growing body of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 …
This brief “primer” assists healthcare providers in correcting a growing body of misinformation surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. In 2020, up to one-third or more of people surveyed both globally and in the U.S. indicated they might refuse the first COVID-19 vaccines when released through emergency use authorization (EUA). Their rationale included questions about vaccine efficacy, potential side effects, or speeding through regulatory approval processes. Even among healthcare workers, high rates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were noted.…
Preferences/Values | Global | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Policy/Regulation | Global Governance | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
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…
Test Performance | Global | Probability/Bayes | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
ArticlePublication 2017Extended Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Cardiovascular Risk Factor Reduction Policies
This chapter summarizes lessons learned from three extended cost-effectiveness analyses (ECEAs) conducted on cardiovascular disease …
This chapter summarizes lessons learned from three extended cost-effectiveness analyses (ECEAs) conducted on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor reduction policies, specifically highlighting new insights into the differential impacts of well-established CVD prevention interventions. Tobacco taxation, salt reduction, and primary prevention of CVD in high-risk individuals remain widely regarded as best buys in global noncommunicable disease policy, and the ECEAs confirm the findings of previous CEAs, namely, that these interventions will likely result in large health…
Evidence Synthesis | Global | Priority Setting/Ethics | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2019Systematic Review of Economic Evaluations of Vaccination Strategies Against Tuberculosis
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only licensed vaccine for tuberculosis, but its effectiveness is limited …
Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the only licensed vaccine for tuberculosis, but its effectiveness is limited and varies by age, so a valid cost-effectiveness study is needed to assist decision-makers in the implementation of cost-effective strategies for BCG vaccination. Using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument, the authors assessed the quality of published studies involving economic evaluations of BCG vaccination strategies in a variety of regions, target populations, and vaccine types. Most of the…
Evidence Synthesis | Global | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2019Cost-Effectiveness of Latent TB Screening before Immigration to Low-Incidence Countries
Despite prospective migrants to countries where the incidence of TB is low receiving TB screening …
Despite prospective migrants to countries where the incidence of TB is low receiving TB screening for active infections, screening for latent TB infection before immigration is rare. The authors used discrete event simulation to evaluate the cost-effectiveness preimmigration latent TB infection screening for migrants to low-incidence countries. They calculated cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained for migrants from countries with different TB incidences. Their analysis when combined with research on sustainability, acceptability, and program implementation can…
Dynamic Simulation | Global | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Government/Law | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2018Comparing Cost-per-QALYs Gained to Cost-per-DALYs Averted
The authors examined 6,438 cost-per-QALY and 543 cost-per-DALY studies published through 2016 using two databases, …
The authors examined 6,438 cost-per-QALY and 543 cost-per-DALY studies published through 2016 using two databases, the Tufts Medical Center CEA Registry (cost-per-QALY gained studies), and the Global Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (GHCEA) Registry (cost-per-DALY averted studies). Study characteristics that were analyzed included intervention type, sponsor, country, primary disease, and number of CEAs versus disease burden estimates for major conditions. The authors report that cost-per-QALY studies were most often about pharmaceuticals or interventions in high-income countries while cost-per-DALY…
Evidence Synthesis | Global | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Policy/Regulation | Health/Medicine -
ReviewPublication 2018Equity Considerations in CEA: Rotavirus Vaccine in LMIC's
The authors used a systematic review of the literature to identify economic evaluations of rotavirus …
The authors used a systematic review of the literature to identify economic evaluations of rotavirus vaccine in LMICs and assess the extent to which equity was considered in the objectives, analysis, and results. They used equity-related indicators provided in the Guidance on Priority Setting in Health Care (GPS-Health) checklist criteria resulting in 18 unique indicators tracked. The authors found that some articles incorporated the indicators in their model inputs (20%) while the majority (80%) presented…
Evidence Synthesis | Global | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Health/Medicine -
ReviewPublication 2018Patient Variability Seldom Assessed in Cost-Effectiveness Studies
This article in Medical Decision Making reviews 200 articles published in 2014 to determine whether …
This article in Medical Decision Making reviews 200 articles published in 2014 to determine whether each cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) study reported subgroup results and collected data on the defining characteristics of these subgroups. Since estimates can vary across patient subgroups when characteristics are influenced by preferences, outcome risks, treatment effectiveness, life expectancy, or associated costs it can be important to track and report these differences. The authors identified whether any of the CEA subgroup results…
Preferences/Values | Global | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | 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…
Costing Methods | Global | Priority Setting/Ethics | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology