Search results for "health technology"
showing 10 items of 39 documents
Current state of genomic policies in healthcare among EU member states: results of a survey of chief medical officers
2016
Abstract Background A need for a governance of genomics in healthcare among European Union (EU) countries arose during an international meeting of experts on public health genomics (PHG). We have conducted a survey on existing national genomic policies in healthcare among Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) of the 28 EU member states, plus Norway. Methods A questionnaire was sent to CMOs after a meeting on the policy implications of PHG held during the Italian presidency of the Council of EU in 2014. The survey was closed in November 2015. Results CMOs response rate was 65.5% (19/29). Twelve (63.2%) reported that their countries had a policy for genomics in healthcare in place, and 15 (78.9%) rep…
Ethical assessment of hepatitis C virus treatment: The lesson from first generation protease inhibitors
2015
Abstract Since chronic hepatitis C has mostly become curable, issues concerning choice and allocation of treatment are of major concern. We assessed the foremost ethical issues in hepatitis C virus therapy with 1st generation protease inhibitors using the personalist ethical framework within the health technology assessment methodology. Our aim was to identify values at stake/in conflict and to support both the physicians’ choices in hepatitis C therapy and social (macro-) allocation decision-making. The ethical assessment indicates that: (1) safety/effectiveness profile of treatment is guaranteed if its use is restricted to the patients subgroups who may benefit from it; (2) patients shoul…
The Role of Mobile Health Technologies in Stratifying Patients for AIT and Its Cessation: The ARIA-EAACI Perspective.
2020
Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is a proven therapeutic option for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and/or asthma. Many international or national practice guidelines have been produced, but the evidence-based method varies and they do not usually propose care pathways. The present article considers the possible role of mobile health in AIT for allergic rhinitis/asthma. There are no currently available validated biologic biomarkers that can predict AIT success, and mobile health biomarkers have some relevance. In the current article, the following aspects will be discussed: patient stratification for AIT, symptom-medication scores for the follow-up of patients, clinical trials, as well as the…
Real-life assessment of chronic rhinosinusitis patients using mobile technology: the mySinusitisCoach project by EUFOREA
2020
Abstract Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with a substantial personal and socioeconomic burden. Monitoring of patient‐reported outcomes by mobile technology offers the possibility to better understand real‐life burden of CRS. Methods This study reports on the cross‐sectional evaluation of data of 626 users of mySinusitisCoach (mSC), a mobile application for CRS patients. Patient characteristics of mSC users were analysed as well as the level of disease control based on VAS global rhinosinusitis symptom score and adapted EPOS criteria. Results The mSC cohort represents a heterogeneous group of CRS patients with a diverse pattern of major sy…
A novel flash glucose monitoring system in patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2: which are the pieces of evidence for payer decision-makers?
2018
A rigorous health technology assessment is necessary to evaluate a new technology. However, healthcare regulatory agencies have less restrictive rules about medical devices, despite some recent warnings about this relevant matter. The evaluation should have at least two key issues, which require attention. The first one is its effectiveness, and the second one is its economic sustainability. In this paper, we deal with a novel glucose-sensing technology as a case study to examine the matter in depth. An evidence-based point of view is used to highlight this important issue.
La Valutazione delle Tecnologie Sanitarie. The Health Technology Assessment
2004
The aim of this paper was to describe exhaustively, but concisely, the matter of the health technology assessment. It is a method of evaluating health technologies based on principles and tools of Evidence Based Medicine. We started from etymology to speak about its definition and implementation methodology. Moreover we guide the reader throughout the constellation of international societies of health technology assessment and the meaning of their international cooperation. Finally, we deal with the health technology assessment as a tool being an integral part of the clinical governance process.
Biases in study design, implementation, and data analysis that distort the appraisal of clinical benefit and ESMO-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale…
2021
BACKGROUND: The European Society for Medical Oncology-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) is a validated, widely used tool developed to score the clinical benefit from cancer medicines reported in clinical trials. ESMO-MCBS scores assume valid research methodologies and quality trial implementation. Studies incorporating flawed design, implementation, or data analysis may generate outcomes that exaggerate true benefit and are not generalisable. Failure to either indicate or penalise studies with bias undermines the intention and diminishes the integrity of ESMO-MCBS scores. This review aimed to evaluate the adequacy of the ESMO-MCBS to address bias generated by flawed design, im…
Saving Technologies that are not Used to Save Lives
2021
A hundred years ago in July, thanks to the advancement of medical technology, the first human received the vaccine Bacille Calmette-Guérin—or BCG—to prevent tuberculosis (TB), a disease that killed at least 20% of the European population during the 19th century. Since then, hundreds of millions of lives have been saved by BCG, as well as other vaccinations for dangerous diseases. However, although TB is quite preventable and curable, it remains the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent in the world. It is an example of how humans can invent technologies to improve and save lives but fail to do so because of unevenly distributed resources, lack of media coverage, and other ec…
Innovations in medical care and mortality trends from four circulatory diseases between 1970 and 2005
2013
Background: Governments have identified innovation in pharmaceuticals and medical technology as a priority for health policy. Although the contribution of medical care to health has been studied extensively in clinical settings, much less is known about its contribution to population health. We examine how innovations in the management of four circulatory disorders have influenced trends in cause-specific mortality at the population level. Methods: Based on literature reviews, we selected six medical innovations with proven effectiveness against hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and cerebrovascular disease. We combined data on the timing of these innovations and cause-spe…
Germany: Where Have We Been?
2012
Germany’s health system organization is based on three major principles: compulsory insurance, compulsory contributions from both employers and employees and solidarity. A vast majority of German citizens follow the idea that health risks should be shared collectively by the community of all insured persons [9]. Irrespective of the amount each person had paid into the social system, all have access to comprehensive coverage. In order to understand Germany’s peculiarities in health policy, this chapter provides an introduction into Germany’s model of health care and then discusses which kinds of resource allocation strategies already have evolved. The second chapter deals with prospects for …