Applied health economics and health policy
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Appl Health Econ Health Policy · Aug 2016
Comparative StudyCost-Effectiveness Analysis of Bendamustine Plus Rituximab as a First-Line Treatment for Patients with Follicular Lymphoma in Spain.
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most common type of lymphoid cancer in Western Europe. ⋯ First-line therapy with rituximab-bendamustine in FL patients was the dominant strategy over treatment with R-CHOP; it showed cost savings and higher health benefits for the Spanish NHS.
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Appl Health Econ Health Policy · Apr 2016
ReviewTegaderm CHG IV Securement Dressing for Central Venous and Arterial Catheter Insertion Sites: A NICE Medical Technology Guidance.
Catheters are widely used for vascular access and for the administration of drugs or fluids in critically ill patients. This exposes patients to an infection risk. Tegaderm chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) (developed by 3M)-a transparent securement dressing-covers and protects catheter sites and secures devices to the skin. ⋯ The EAC critiqued and updated the model's inputs, yielding similar results to those the sponsor estimate. The MTAC reviewed the evidence and decided to support the case for adoption, issuing a positive draft recommendation. After a public consultation, NICE published this as Medical Technology Guidance 25.
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Appl Health Econ Health Policy · Apr 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialEffectiveness and Cost of a Personalized Reminder Intervention to Improve Adherence to Glaucoma Care.
Glaucoma is the leadi ng cause of irreversible blindness in the USA. Glaucomatous vision loss is preventable with proper eye care, including appointment adherence. Therefore, interventions that improve appointment adherence can reduce the number of patients with more severe glaucoma. ⋯ A low cost reminder intervention consisting of a personalized letter and telephone outreach significantly improved appointment adherence of patients with glaucoma.
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Appl Health Econ Health Policy · Feb 2016
Sherlock 3CG(®) Tip Confirmation System for Placement of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters: A NICE Medical Technology Guidance.
In current clinical practice, peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are typically inserted using external anatomical measurements and a confirmatory chest X-ray, or using fluoroscopy. The Sherlock 3CG(®) Tip Confirmation System (TCS) allows magnetic tracking of the PICC tip during insertion and confirmation of the final location using ECG, meaning that most patients will not require a chest X-ray or fluoroscopy. The Sherlock 3CG(®) TCS was evaluated in 2014 by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as part of the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme. ⋯ If evidence became available for outcomes after the initial insertion, such as replacement, complications and adverse events, the cost implications may change. The direction of this potential change is not known. NICE published guidance MTG24 in March 2015 recommending that the case for adoption of Sherlock 3CG(®) TCS was supported by the evidence.
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Appl Health Econ Health Policy · Oct 2015
The Robustness and Effectiveness of the Triage System at Times of Overcrowding and the Extra Costs due to Inappropriate Use of Emergency Departments.
Overcrowding is one of the most harmful problems for Emergency Department (ED) management and the correct estimation of time resource absorption by each type of patient plays a strategic role in dealing with overcrowding and correctly programming ED activity. ⋯ The implementation of effective policies intended to improve both efficiency and quality in providing emergency health services has to deal with the systemic problem of inappropriate use of EDs. Policy-makers should be aware of the fact that there is a considerable portion of ED demand for assistance that is inappropriate and that oversizing EDs with respect to the true, appropriate, urgent patients' demands, could bring about a further and undesirable rise in inappropriate assistance demands and, therefore, an increase in ED costs that are not consistent with their objectives.