Health technology assessment : HTA
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Health Technol Assess · May 2011
ReviewEvaluation of patient reporting of adverse drug reactions to the UK 'Yellow Card Scheme': literature review, descriptive and qualitative analyses, and questionnaire surveys.
The monitoring of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) through pharmacovigilance is vital to patient safety. Spontaneous reporting of ADRs is one method of pharmacovigilance, and in the UK this is undertaken through the Yellow Card Scheme (YCS). Yellow Card reports are submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) by post, telephone or via the internet. The MHRA electronically records and reviews information submitted so that important safety issues can be detected. While previous studies have shown differences between patient and health-care professional (HCP) reports for the types of drugs and reactions reported, relatively little is known about the pharmacovigilance impact of patient reports. There have also been few studies on the views and experiences of patients/consumers on the reporting of suspected ADRs. ⋯ The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
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Health Technol Assess · Apr 2011
ReviewThe clinical effectiveness and safety of prophylactic retinal interventions to reduce the risk of retinal detachment and subsequent vision loss in adults and children with Stickler syndrome: a systematic review.
Stickler syndrome, also known as hereditary progressive arthro-ophthalmopathy, is an inherited progressive disorder of the collagen connective tissues. Manifestations include short-sightedness, cataracts, retinal problems leading to retinal detachment and possible blindness. This is principally the case among individuals with type 1 Stickler Syndrome. It is the most commonly identified inherited cause of retinal detachment in childhood. However, there is no consensus regarding best practice and no current guidelines on prophylactic interventions for this population. ⋯ This study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
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Health Technol Assess · Apr 2011
ReviewHysterectomy, endometrial ablation and Mirena® for heavy menstrual bleeding: a systematic review of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analysis.
The aim of this project was to determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of hysterectomy, first- and second-generation endometrial ablation (EA), and Mirena® (Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Pittsburgh, PA, USA) for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding. ⋯ The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
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Health Technol Assess · Apr 2011
ReviewPeginterferon alfa and ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C in patients eligible for shortened treatment, re-treatment or in HCV/HIV co-infection: a systematic review and economic evaluation.
to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of peginterferon alfa and ribavirin for the treatment of chronic hepatitis c virus (HCV) in three specific patient subgroups affected by recent licence changes: those eligible for shortened treatment courses [i.e. those with low viral load (LVL) and who attained a rapid virological response (RVR) at 4 weeks of treatment], those eligible for re-treatment following previous non-response or relapse, and those co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ⋯ The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
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Health Technol Assess · Mar 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialA randomised controlled trial of post-operative radiotherapy following breast-conserving surgery in a minimum-risk population. Quality of life at 5 years in the PRIME trial.
To assess whether omission of post-operative radiotherapy (RT) in women with 'low-risk' axillary node-negative breast cancer [tumour size of less than 5 cm (T0-2) although the eligibility criteria further reduce the eligible size to a maximum of 3 cm] treated by breast-conserving surgery and endocrine therapy improves quality of life and is more cost-effective. ⋯ Breast RT is tolerated well by most older breast cancer patients without impairing their overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Although HRQoL should always be taken into account when determining treatment, our results show that the addition of RT does not impair overall quality of life. Further economic modelling on the longer-term costs and consequences of omitting RT is required.