Empirical examination of the indicator ‘pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalization rate’ based on administrative hospital data in Italy
Background: Awareness of the importance of strengthening investments in child health and monitoring the quality of services in the pediatric field is increasing. The Pediatric Quality Indicators developed by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), use hospital administrative data to identify admissions that could be avoided through high-quality outpatient care. Building on this approach, the purpose of this study is to perform an empirical examination of the 'pediatric gastroenteritis admission rate' indicator in Italy, under the assumption that lower admission rates are associated with better management at the primary care level and with overall better quality of care for…
Global investments in pandemic preparedness and COVID-19: development assistance and domestic spending on health between 1990 and 2026
Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in health surveillance systems, disease prevention, and treatment globally. Among the many factors that might have led to these gaps is the issue of the financing of national health systems, especially in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as a robust global system for pandemic preparedness. We aimed to provide a comparative assessment of global health spending at the onset of the pandemic; characterise the amount of development assistance for pandemic preparedness and response disbursed in the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic; and examine expectations for future health spending and put into context the expected ne…
How a traditional agricultural protection structure acts in conditioning the internal microclimate: a statistical analytical approach to Giardino Pantesco (Pantelleria Island - Italy)
This work aims to analyze the traditional agricultural technique of the Giardino Pantesco, typical of the isle of Pantelleria (Sicily, Italy). With this particular technique a single citrus tree is encircled by a drywall of volcanic rocks allowing it to grow even in the island's unfavorable meteorological conditions. This technique has been analyzed by placing one instrumental array inside the Giardino and one outside and by measuring different environmental variables. The aim of the work is therefore to understand what is the drywall's effect on the tree by analyzing the time series produced by the sensors, using cross-correlation techniques and reducing the series' autocorrelation, so tha…
Empirical validation of the "Pediatric asthma Hospitalization rate" indicator
Background: Quality assessment in pediatric care has recently gained momentum. Although many of the approaches to indicator development are similar regardless of the population of interest, few nationwide sets of indicators specifically designed for assessment of primary care of children exist. We performed an empirical analysis of the validity of "Pediatric Asthma Hospitalization Rate" indicator under the assumption that lower admission rates are associated with better performance of primary health care. Methods: The validity of "Pediatric Asthma Hospitalization Rate" indicator proposed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the Italian context was investigated with a focus o…
Global mortality associated with 33 bacterial pathogens in 2019
Background: Reducing the burden of death due to infection is an urgent global public health priority. Previous studies have estimated the number of deaths associated with drug-resistant infections and sepsis and found that infections remain a leading cause of death globally. Understanding the global burden of common bacterial pathogens (both susceptible and resistant to antimicrobials) is essential to identify the greatest threats to public health. To our knowledge, this is the first study to present global comprehensive estimates of deaths associated with 33 bacterial pathogens across 11 major infectious syndromes. Methods: We estimated deaths associated with 33 bacterial genera or species…
Global burden of chronic respiratory diseases and risk factors, 1990-2019: an update from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Background: Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CRDs and their attributable risks from 1990 to 2019.Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we estimated mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), prevalence, and incidence of CRDs, i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)…