Resources Repository
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ArticlePublication 2022Modeling the Effectiveness of Healthcare Personnel Reactive Testing and Screening for the SARS-Cov-2 Omicron Variant within Nursing Homes
The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been hypothesized to exhibit faster clearance (time from peak …
The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been hypothesized to exhibit faster clearance (time from peak viral concentration to clearance of acute infection), may be less detectable by antigen tests (decreased sensitivity), and may be more likely to evade immunity conferred by past infection or vaccination) compared to prior variants. This calls for a reassessment of strategies to prevent its spread, especially in vulnerable settings like nursing homes. Using a model that tracks viral shedding patterns,…
Health/Medicine | North America | Test Performance | Mathematical Models | Infectious Diseases -
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.
Health/Medicine | North America | Priority Setting/Ethics | Mathematical Models | Health Systems | Clinical Care -
ArticlePublication 2022Hospital Closures amid COVID-19
The recent trend of hospital closures in the US has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, …
The recent trend of hospital closures in the US has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as hospitals have experienced financial hardship from reduced patient volume and elective surgery cases, as well as the thin financial margins for treating patients with COVID-19. This trend of hospital closures is concerning for patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers. This current opinion piece describes the challenges caused by hospital closures and discusses what policymakers should know based on the existing…
Operations Research | Health/Medicine | North America | Health Systems -
EditorialPublication 2021Scientific and Regulatory Challenges in Designing mHealth Interventions
Scientists looking for innovative ways to deliver health care have long searched for mechanisms that …
Scientists looking for innovative ways to deliver health care have long searched for mechanisms that can enable the right intervention to be delivered at the right time. Traditional delivery mechanisms have been limited both to the availability of a provider (e.g., a physician) and the location of care (e.g., a hospital or outpatient clinic). In recent years, however, numerous technological advancements—including wearable devices, mobile technologies, and the widespread development and use of user-friendly smartphone applications—have…
Technology Assessment | Health/Medicine | North America | Science/Technology -
ArticlePublication 2022COVID-19 Response: The Need for Economic Evaluation
COVID-19-related policies are fraught with trade-offs. Many of these trade-offs involve dimensions that can be …
COVID-19-related policies are fraught with trade-offs. Many of these trade-offs involve dimensions that can be quantitatively weighed using economic evaluation, such as those between health and cost outcomes. Other types of dimensions, such as those involving equity or autonomy, can be harder to quantify but should be considered in a comprehensive health policy decision-making context nonetheless. The authors of this New England Journal of Medicine Perspectives article outline how methods of economic evaluation and decision…
Benefit-Cost Analysis | Health/Medicine | North America | Priority Setting/Ethics | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Policy/Regulation | Economics/Finance | Global -
ArticlePublication 2022Cost-Effectiveness of Masked Hypertension Screening and Treatment
The study assessed the health and economic outcomes of screening and treating masked hypertension in …
The study assessed the health and economic outcomes of screening and treating masked hypertension in U.S. adults using the Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Policy Model, a microsimulation model. The model simulated 100,000 adults suspected of having masked hypertension (office blood pressure [BP] of 120–129/<80 mm Hg, not on antihypertensive medications, and without a history of CVD). Interventions included: usual care alone, usual care with ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), and usual care with home BP monitoring (HBPM).…
Microsimulation | Health/Medicine | North America | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk | Clinical Care -
ArticlePublication 2022Duration & Cost-Effectiveness of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance in Hepatitis C Patients After Viral Eradication
This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of biannual surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients cured …
This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of biannual surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients cured of hepatitis C virus (HCV) using oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). A microsimulation model of HCC natural history in individuals with HCV-related advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis post-DAAs was developed, integrating data on HCC incidence, tumor progression, surveillance adherence, and health state costs/utilities. Biannual ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein surveillance were compared to no surveillance over varying durations (5 years to lifetime). Results indicate…
Microsimulation | Health/Medicine | North America | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk -
ArticlePublication 2022Cost-Effectiveness of Screening for Atrial Fibrillation Using Wearable Devices
This economic evaluation assesses the cost-effectiveness of atrial fibrillation (AF) screening strategies, particularly utilizing wrist-worn …
This economic evaluation assesses the cost-effectiveness of atrial fibrillation (AF) screening strategies, particularly utilizing wrist-worn wearable devices, to prevent strokes. Conducted using a microsimulation decision-analytic model, the study spans from September 8, 2020, to May 23, 2022, incorporating 30 million simulated individuals representative of the US population aged 65 years or older. Eight screening strategies, including six employing wrist-worn devices and two using traditional methods, were compared against no screening. Results indicate that all wrist-worn…
Microsimulation | Health/Medicine | North America | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk -
ArticlePublication 2021Cost-Effectiveness of Hypertension Treatment by Pharmacists in Black Barbershops
The Los Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study (LABBPS) examined the effectiveness and cost of a …
The Los Angeles Barbershop Blood Pressure Study (LABBPS) examined the effectiveness and cost of a one-year pharmacist-led hypertension care intervention in Black-owned barbershops in Los Angeles County, focused on non-Hispanic Black men with uncontrolled hypertension. Using a discrete event simulation, the researchers projected the 10-year health outcomes and health care costs associated with the intervention compared to a control group. The costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were calculated from a health care sector perspective, with…
Health/Medicine | North America | Mathematical Models | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Chronic Disease/Risk | Clinical Care