Resources Repository
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ArticlePublication 2010Alternative Strategies to Reduce Maternal Mortality in India: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
This article, published in PLoS Medicine, conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of strategies to improve pregnancy …
This article, published in PLoS Medicine, conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of strategies to improve pregnancy and childbirth safety in India. Country- and region-specific data were synthesized using a computer-based model that simulates the natural history of pregnancy and pregnancy-associated complications in individual women, and considers delivery location, attendant, and facility level. Model validation compared projected maternal indicators with empiric data. Strategies consisted of improving coverage of effective interventions that could be provided individually or packaged…
Mathematical Models | Evidence Synthesis | Microsimulation | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Global | Asia & Pacific -
ArticlePublication 2023Performance of Rapid Antigen Tests to Detect Symptomatic and Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection
The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of rapid antigen tests (Ag-RDTs) …
The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of rapid antigen tests (Ag-RDTs) for detection of SARS-CoV-2 among symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. The general findings were that the performance of Ag-RDTs was optimized when asymptomatic participants tested 3 times at 48-hour intervals and when symptomatic participants tested 2 times separated by 48 hours. Participants completed Ag-RDTs and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for SARS-CoV-2 every 48 hours for 15 days. They…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | North America -
ArticlePublication 2020Variation in False-Negative Rate of Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based SARS-CoV-2 Tests by Time Since Exposure
This study aimed to determine the false-negative rate of RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection based …
This study aimed to determine the false-negative rate of RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection based on the timeline of exposure and symptom onset. Drawing from data in seven studies involving 1,330 upper respiratory tract samples, a Bayesian model was used to estimate these rates. Findings showed that in the initial four days prior to typical symptom onset, the false-negative rate decreased from 100% on day 1 to 67% on day 4. By the day of…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | North America -
ArticlePublication 2021Racial and Ethnic Inequities in the Early Distribution of U.S. COVID-19 Testing Sites and Mortality
In 2020, U.S. COVID-19 testing sites were pivotal not just for diagnosis but also to …
In 2020, U.S. COVID-19 testing sites were pivotal not just for diagnosis but also to provide data that would contribute to understanding transmission. This research explored how these sites were distributed in relation to racial and ethnic demographics and its connection to observed disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Data from mid-April to late May 2020 revealed that testing sites were not equally distributed among racial groups. Specifically, there was an overrepresentation of testing sites in areas…
Test Performance | Health Outcomes | Infectious Diseases | Social Determinants | Policy/Regulation | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | North America -
ArticlePublication 2022Comparison of Home Antigen Testing With RT-PCR and Viral Culture During the Course of SARS-CoV-2 Infection
As the availability of at-home self-collected antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 increases, understanding their efficacy is …
As the availability of at-home self-collected antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 increases, understanding their efficacy is crucial. A study in San Diego and Denver between January and May 2021 assessed the reliability of these tests against standard RT-PCR tests and viral cultures. Of the 225 participants with confirmed infections, the antigen test sensitivity was found to be 50% during the infectious period, 64% against the same-day RT-PCR, and 84% against the same-day cultures. Sensitivity was highest…
Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
ArticlePublication 2023Achieving the Cancer Moonshot Goal
The Cancer Moonshot seeks to reduce age-standardized cancer mortality rates by at least 50% over …
The Cancer Moonshot seeks to reduce age-standardized cancer mortality rates by at least 50% over the next 25 years. This article estimates trends in U.S. cancer mortality for all cancers and the six leading types and reviews opportunities to prevent, detect, and treat these common cancers.
Mathematical Models | Priority Setting/Ethics | Health Systems | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | North America -
ArticlePublication 2023Benefits and Costs of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
Written mid-pandemic, this article evaluates the direct costs and health benefits of requiring COVID-19 vaccinations …
Written mid-pandemic, this article evaluates the direct costs and health benefits of requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for U.S. federal employees and healthcare and private sector workers. These mandates were controversial and some were halted by litigation. If they had been implemented as intended, the net benefits would depend on the course of the pandemic. If a more transmissible variant (such as Omicron) emerges, the net benefits may be large. If the pandemic instead fades, the benefits…
Mathematical Models | State-Transition | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Policy/Regulation | Business/Industry | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | North America -
ArticlePublication 2023Out-of-Pocket Expenditures & Financial Risks Associated with Treatment of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Ethiopia
This study investigates out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures and associated catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) for vaccine-preventable diseases …
This study investigates out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures and associated catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) for vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) in Ethiopia. Through a cross-sectional costing analysis, data on OOP direct medical and nonmedical expenditures were collected from 995 households in 54 health facilities nationwide. The study focuses on VPDs in children under 5 years for pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, and pertussis, and in children under 15 years for meningitis. Mean OOP expenditures per disease episode ranged from $5·6 to…
Mathematical Models | Costing Methods | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine | Sub-Saharan Africa -
ArticlePublication 2023Effects of Public Financing of Essential Maternal and Child Health Interventions Across Wealth Quintiles in Nigeria: An Extended Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
This study evaluates the potential health and financial risk protection benefits of public financing for …
This study evaluates the potential health and financial risk protection benefits of public financing for maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) interventions in Nigeria, focusing on different wealth quintiles. Employing extended cost-effectiveness analysis, the research assesses the impact of a policy ensuring zero out-of-pocket costs for 18 essential MNCH services. Three scenarios were modeled: status quo, uniform scale-up, and pro-poor scale-up. Findings suggest that a 5% increase in coverage for all quintiles could prevent significant…
Mathematical Models | Health Outcomes | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Policy/Regulation | Health/Medicine | Sub-Saharan Africa