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…
Technology Assessment | Probability/Bayes | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
ToolInteractive 2020COVID-19 Antibody Tests: Calculator for Interpreting Test Results
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. This interactive calculator, linked to the article …
Antibody testing can determine previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. This interactive calculator, linked to the article below* on antibody testing for SARS-CoV-2 virus, allows users to vary the prior probability of infection, the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing, and the specificity of SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing. Key points made in the article accompanying the interactive include: (1) antibody testing is likely to be most useful 2 weeks after infection, (2) sensitivity and specificity will vary over time and…
Technology Assessment | Probability/Bayes | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology -
EditorialPublication 2020Waiting for Certainty on COVID-19 Antibody Tests — At What Cost?
This perspective anticipates the availability of serologic antibody testing and considers its potential usefulness in mitigation …
This perspective anticipates the availability of serologic antibody testing and considers its potential usefulness in mitigation policy to reduce COVID-19 transmission. For example: Could we screen for serologic antibodies as a proxy for possible immunity and identify people who could return to the workplace with less severe mitigation measures? The authors acknowledge the uncertainties raised by many policy actors, including the WHO, such as, "Do antibodies confer immunity and, if so, for how long? How accurate is…
Technology Assessment | Probability/Bayes | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Global | North America -
ReportPublication 2018Understanding the Economics of Microbial Threats: Proceedings of a Workshop
This report follows a June 2018, Forum on Microbial Threats that was held at the …
This report follows a June 2018, Forum on Microbial Threats that was held at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. This was a 1.5-day public workshop with the goal being an assessment of the current understanding of the interaction of infectious disease threats and economic activity in order to suggest future areas of research. This workshop built on prior work of the Forum and aimed to build more mutual understanding between those in…
Technology Assessment | Health Outcomes | Evidence Synthesis | Infectious Diseases | Policy/Regulation | Global Governance | Clinical Care | Business/Industry | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Global -
ArticlePublication 2017Benefit and Harm of Intensive Blood Pressure Treatment: Derivation and Validation of Risk Models Using Data from the Sprint and Accord Trials
Intensive blood pressure (BP) treatment can avert cardiovascular disease (CVD) events but can cause some …
Intensive blood pressure (BP) treatment can avert cardiovascular disease (CVD) events but can cause some serious adverse events. The authors sought to create risk calculators to estimate individual patients’ chances of benefit and harm from intensive treatment. They developed statistical models of cardiovascular events and serious adverse events from individual participant data from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) of intensive blood pressure treatment (N = 9,069 with complete covariate data) and validated them…
Health Outcomes | Probability/Bayes | Evidence Synthesis | Chronic Disease/Risk -
BookPublication 2017What's In, What's Out: Designing Benefits for Universal Health Coverage
Many low- and middle-income countries now aspire to universal health coverage, where governments ensure that …
Many low- and middle-income countries now aspire to universal health coverage, where governments ensure that all people have access to the quality health services they need without risk of impoverishment. But for universal health coverage to become reality, the health services offered must be consistent with the funds available-and this implies tough everyday choices for policymakers. This publication argues that the creation of an explicit health benefits plan-a defined list of services that are and are…
Technology Assessment | Health Outcomes | Priority Setting/Ethics | Evidence Synthesis | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
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 Outcomes | Evidence Synthesis | Infectious Diseases | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Mental Health | Injuries/Accidents | Environmental Health | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Health/Medicine | 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 Outcomes | Priority Setting/Ethics | Costing Methods | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | 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 Outcomes | Costing Methods | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Maternal/Reproductive Health | Child/Nutrition | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | Global | Sub-Saharan Africa | Asia & Pacific