Abstract

No abstract available

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This paper examines the cost effectiveness of the compulsory bicycle helmet wearing law (HWL) introduced in New Zealand on 1 January 1994. The societal perspective of costs is used for the purchase of helmets and the value of injuries averted. This is augmented with healthcare costs averted from reduced head injuries.

METHODS: Three age groups were examined: cyclists aged 5-12 years, 13-18 years, and >/=19 years. The number of head and non-head injuries averted were obtained from epidemiological studies. Estimates of the numbers of cyclists and the costs of helmets are used to derive the total spending on new bicycle helmets. Healthcare costs were obtained from national hospitalisation database, and the value of injuries averted was obtained directly from a willingness-to-pay survey undertaken by the Land Transport Safety Authority. Cost effectiveness ratios, benefit:cost ratios, and the value of net benefits were estimated.

RESULTS: The net benefit (benefit:cost ratios) of the HWL for the 5-12, 13-18, and >/=19 year age groups was $0.3m (2.6), -$0.2m (0.8), and -$1.5m (0.7) (in NZ $, 2000 prices; NZ $1.00 = US $0.47 = UK pound 0.31 approx). These results were most sensitive to the cost and life of helmets, helmet wearing rates before the HWL, and the effectiveness of helmets in preventing head injuries.

CONCLUSIONS: The HWL was cost saving in the youngest age group but large costs from the law were imposed on adult (>/=19 years) cyclists.

Abstract

BSCKGROUND: Young people with physical disabilities often have difficulty attaining independence in adult life and consequently need lifelong support from parents and from health-care and social-care services. There are concerns about the organisation and cost-effectiveness of such services and their ability to meet the independence training and serious health needs of these young people. Our aim was to compare a young adult team (YAT) approach with the ad hoc service approach in four locations in England, in terms of their ability to enhance the participation in society of these young people and their cost.

METHODS: We did a retrospective cohort study, in which we interviewed 254 physically disabled young people. 124 healthy controls were given a questionnaire. We interviewed with standardised measures and used logistic regression analysis to test for effects of ad hoc and YAT services. The Mantel-Haenszel χ2 statistic was used to test for differences in resource use between areas in which the YAT and ad hoc services were available.

FINDINGS: The absence of pain, fatigue, and stress increased the odds of participation two-fold to four-fold. After adjustment for these factors, young people cared for by multidisciplinary YAT teams were 2·54 times (95% Cl 1·30-4·98) more likely than those who used ad hoc services to participate in society. Resource use did not differ between the two service types.

INTERPRETATION: A YAT approach costs no more to implement than an ad hoc approach, and is more likely to enhance participation in society of young people with physical disabilities.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In individual studies and limited meta-analyses venlafaxine has been reported to be more effective than comparator antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

AIMS: To perform a systematic review of all such studies.

METHOD: We conducted a systematic review of double-blind, randomised trials comparing venlafaxine with alternative antidepressants in the treatment of depression. The primary outcome was the difference in final depression rating scale value, expressed as a standardised effect size. Secondary outcomes were response rate, remission rate and tolerability.

RESULTS: A total of 32 randomised trials were included. Venlafaxine was more effective than other antidepressants (standardised effect size was -0.14, 95% Cl -0.07 to -0.22). A similar significant advantage was found against SSRIs (20 studies) but not tricyclic antidepressants (7 studies).

CONCLUSIONS: Venlafaxine has greater efficacy than SSRIs although there is uncertainty in comparison with other antidepressants. Further studies are required to determine the clinical importance of this finding.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:The impact of economic evaluation studies on health-care decision makers has been shown to be rather limited. However, there is an increasing requirement for the cost-effectiveness of health-care interventions to be considered in formulating and implementing guidelines for clinical practice. This paper reports the findings of recent focus group research among UK health authorities, which examined the usefulness of published economic evaluations within the decision-making processes. The findings are presented and discussed in light of other studies that have addressed this issue.

METHODS: Focus group research was conducted with decision makers from a sample of two UK health authorities using the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) as a research vehicle to locate and report the findings of relevant economic studies. The study sample was initially invited to respond to questionnaires exploring the usefulness of published economic evaluations in the decision-making process and to outline particular topics that it felt would benefit from similar economic evidence. Following this, a detailed search was undertaken to retrieve structured NHS EED abstracts on these topics such that the usefulness and limitations of economic evaluations to decision making could be determined.

RESULTS: Decision makers generally recognized the usefulness and necessity of published economic evaluations in informing their decision-making processes. However, the value of studies was often limited because of the poor generalizability of results, the narrowness of research questions, and the lack of methodological rigor common to many published studies. A total of 237 NHS EED full abstracts were retrieved in the specified areas of interest, which, within specified caveats, were generally found to be useful as decision-making tools. There was a general consensus among decision makers in favor of developing a quality-scoring system for studies, thereby going beyond the critical summaries given in NHS EED.

CONCLUSIONS: Decision makers value information on cost-effectiveness as well as effectiveness alone, but methodological improvements are necessary to increase the reliability of economic studies. A quality-scoring system for published studies would be a useful development as a filtering mechanism for decision makers but would raise a number of challenges for health economists.

Abstract

No abstract available

Abstract

This study illustrates a process of accessing and utilising clinical and economic evidence in health care decision making. The scenario examined was that of a UK Health Authority evaluating evidence prior to the introduction of assertive community treatment (ACT), as part of guidance from the UK National Service Framework for Mental Health. The consistency between clinical and cost evidence from a number of sources (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), Database of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE), HTA database, NHS Economic Evaluation database (NHS EED)) was also addressed, as was the usefulness of structured abstracts on NHS EED. The findings showed that within specified caveats ACT tends to be more effective and also less costly than alternative interventions; there is general agreement between sources principally reporting effectiveness and economic evaluations; and NHS EED abstracts are useful in the decision making process where information gaps exist. In terms of health care policy in the health authority examined, two ACT teams were subsequently introduced in the city of Leicester. Although systematic reviews and appraisals of evidence are arguably the gold standard in health care decision making, the study illustrates how the use of databases of structured abstracts can assist in making optimal choices in real life decision making scenarios.