Resources Repository
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ArticlePublication 2021Alleviating the Burden of Diabetes with Health Equity Funds: Economic Evaluation of the Health & Financial Risk Protection Benefits in Cambodia
This study examines the potential distributional health and financial impacts of implementing strategies to provide …
This study examines the potential distributional health and financial impacts of implementing strategies to provide financial coverage for diabetes services through Health Equity Funds (HEF) in Cambodia. Utilizing a Markov model, the trajectory of diabetes is projected over a 45-year period to estimate societal costs, health outcomes, and individual out-of-pocket expenditures associated with six HEF coverage strategies. Input parameters are derived from published literature and household survey data. Strategies covered different combinations of types of…
Health Outcomes | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine | Asia & Pacific -
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…
Test Performance | Probability/Bayes | Technology Assessment | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
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…
Test Performance | Probability/Bayes | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
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 | Probability/Bayes | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
ArticlePublication 2020Incorporating Perspective into Clinical Decisions
Part of a six-part series of articles on clinical decision making, in this article, the …
Part of a six-part series of articles on clinical decision making, in this article, the authors discuss how to incorporate perspective into clinical decisions, explicitly acknowledging that the treating physician is not the only stakeholder in these decisions. The authors use 2 case studies to demonstrate how changes in perspective can alter the clinical decision as well lead to both intended and unintended consequences to the outcomes.
Health Outcomes | Preferences/Values | Priority Setting/Ethics | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2019Cost-Effectiveness of Community-Based Childhood Obesity Prevention Interventions in Australia
This study examined the cost-effectiveness of community-based obesity prevention interventions (CBIs) consisting of strategies to …
This study examined the cost-effectiveness of community-based obesity prevention interventions (CBIs) consisting of strategies to promote healthy eating and physical activity for Australian children aged between 5-18 years. A multiple cohort Markov model that simulates diseases associated with overweight and obesity was used to estimate the health benefits, measured as health-adjusted life years (HALYs) and healthcare-related cost offsets from diseases averted due to exposure to the intervention. Health and cost outcomes were estimated over the…
Health Outcomes | State-Transition | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Food/Agriculture | Health/Medicine | Oceania -
ArticlePublication 2020Weighing Evidence to Inform Clinical Decisions
The authors use a clinical example to simulate how treatment discussions can be complicated when new evidence is introduced …
The authors use a clinical example to simulate how treatment discussions can be complicated when new evidence is introduced that conflicts with existing guidelines. Even when evidence is consistent, the authors point out that current guidelines can have interpretations that don't agree with available evidence. They develop a step-wise algorithm to help guide individual clinical decisions even in the absence of general consensus related to appropriate testing and treatment.
Evidence Synthesis | Priority Setting/Ethics | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
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…
Test Performance | Probability/Bayes | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2020Equity & Distributional Impact on Stunting of a Nutritional Package, Children Aged 6-36 Months in China: Modeling Study Findings
This article evaluates the potential impact of rolling out the Ying Yang Bao (YYB) nutritional …
This article evaluates the potential impact of rolling out the Ying Yang Bao (YYB) nutritional package on child stunting across provinces and wealth groups in China, focusing on equity. Utilizing data from the China Family Panel Studies and extended cost-effectiveness analysis methods, the study estimates the distributional impact of a 12-month YYB program for children aged 6-36 months across 25 provinces and two wealth groups. Results indicate that a 75% coverage of YYB could avert…
Health Outcomes | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Health/Medicine | Asia & Pacific