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Economic evaluation databases have been developed to assist in setting priorities and facilitating research within the healthcare sector. This paper presents an overview of the major databases of economic evaluations currently available (HEED, NHS EED, the CEA Registry, CODECS, PEDE, EURONHEED and JEED). It describes the key features of each database and the main user groups. It also presents evidence of the value of access to economic evaluation databases, particularly for the researchers and decision makers who form their main target audience. The research available shows that both decision makers and researchers find economic evaluation databases helpful as a source of information. However, database producers may also need to better understand the requirements of their users and consider adaptations to their products.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects on independence in older people needing rehabilitation in a locality based community hospital compared with care on a ward for elderly people in a district general hospital.
DESIGN: Randomised controlled trial.
SETTING: Care in a community hospital and district general hospital in Bradford, England.
PARTICIPANTS: 220 patients needing rehabilitation after an acute illness that required hospital admission.
INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly allocated to a locality based community hospital or to remain within a department for the care of elderly people in a district general hospital.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes were Nottingham extended activities of daily living scale and general health questionnaire 28 (carer). Secondary outcomes were activities of daily living (Barthel index), Nottingham health profile, hospital anxiety and depression scale, mortality, destination after discharge, satisfaction with services, carer strain index, and carer's satisfaction with services.
RESULTS: The median length of stay was 15 days for both the community hospital and the district general hospital groups (interquartile range: community hospital 9-25 days; district general hospital 9-24 days). Independence at six months was greater in the community hospital group (adjusted mean difference 5.30, 95% confidence interval 0.64 to 9.96). Results for the secondary outcome measures, including care satisfaction and measures of carer burden, were similar for both groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Care in a locality based community hospital is associated with greater independence for older people than care in wards for elderly people in a district general hospital.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of searching selected databases to identify information required to populate a decision-analytic model.
METHODS: Methods of searching for information to populate a decision-analytic model were piloted using a case study of prophylactic antibiotics to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections in children. This study explored how the information requirements for a decision-analytic model could be developed into searchable questions and how search strategies could be derived to answer these questions. The study also assessed the usefulness of three published search filters and explored which resources might produce relevant information for the various model parameters.
RESULTS: Based on the data requirements for this case study, 42 questions were developed for searching. These questions related to baseline event rates, health-related quality of life and outcomes, relative treatment effects, resource use and unit costs, and antibiotic resistance. A total of 1,237 records were assessed by the modeler, and of these, 48 were found to be relevant to the model. Search precision ranged from 0 percent to 38 percent, and no single database proved the most useful for all the questions.
CONCLUSIONS: The process of conducting specific searches to address each of the model questions provided information that was useful in populating the case study model. The most appropriate resources to search were dependent on the question, and multiple database searching using focused search strategies may prove more effective in finding relevant data than thorough searches of a single database.
No abstract available
OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of the response of NHS hospital trusts to an alert issued by the National Patient Safety Agency designed to limit the availability of concentrated potassium chloride in hospitals in England and Wales, and to determine the nature of any unintended consequences.
DESIGN: Multi-method study involving interviews and a physical inspection of clinical areas.
SETTING: 207 clinical areas in 20 randomly selected acute NHS trusts in England and Wales between 31 October 2002 and 31 January 2003.
PARTICIPANTS: Senior managers and ward based medical and nursing staff.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Degree of staff awareness of and compliance with the requirements of the national alert, withdrawal of concentrated potassium chloride solutions from non-critical areas, provision of pre-diluted alternatives, storage and recording in accordance with controlled drug legislation.
RESULTS: All trusts required that potassium chloride concentrate be stored in a separate locked cup-board from common injectable diluents (100% compliance). Unauthorized stocks of potassium chloride were found in five clinical areas not authorized by the trust (98% compliance). All trusts required documentation control of potassium chloride concentrate in clinical areas, but errors were recorded in 20 of the 207 clinical areas visited (90% compliance). Of those interviewed, 78% of nurses and 30% of junior doctors were aware of the alert.
CONCLUSIONS: The NPSA alert was effective and resulted in rapid development and implementation of local policies to reduce the availability of concentrated potassium chloride solutions. The success is likely to be partly due to the nature of the proposed changes and it cannot be assumed that future alerts will be equally effective. Continued vigilance will be necessary to help sustain the changes.
This study aimed to find out whether General Practitioners (GPs) use quality of life (QOL) information in primary care, to explore their reasoning and to assess any barriers to use. A second purpose was to see whether the Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) of behaviour change could be applied to doctor's use of QOL information in primary care. A representative, cross-sectional sample of 800 GPs was approached in a national postal survey; 280 (38%) provided qualitative and quantitative information. Most GPs said that QOL was interesting and important. Users had seen more information and scales, and were more aware of its uses; only 8% had ever used formal standardised questionnaires. The main barriers to implementation were a shortage of time and information, and experience with using QOL assessment. A sizable minority wanted to know more. Seventy-one percent would use QOL to monitor treatment effectiveness. The five stages of the TTM were used to identify whether GP's were predisposed to use QOL information from their knowledge levels and values. While there was some support for the model, the TTM did not sensitively and reliably discriminate between users and non-users on all variables, and so has limited value here.
Recent research has employed different analytical techniques to estimate the impact of the various long-term complications of type 2 diabetes on health-related utility and health status. However, limited patient numbers or lack of variety of patient experience has limited their power to discriminate between separate complications and grades of severity. In this study alternative statistical model forms were compared to investigate the influence of various factors on self-assessed health status and calculated utility scores, including the presence and severity of complications, and type of diabetes therapy. Responses to the EuroQol EQ-5D questionnaire from 4641 patients with type 2 diabetes in 5 European countries were analysed. Simple multiple regression analysis was used to model both visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and time trade-off index scores (TTO). Also, two complex models were developed for TTO analysis using a structure suggested by the EuroQol calculation algorithm. Both VAS and TTO models achieved greater explanatory power than in earlier studies. Relative weightings for individual complications differed between VAS and TTO scales, reflecting the strong influence of loss of mobility and severe pain in the EuroQol algorithm. Insulin-based therapy was uniformly associated with a detrimental effect equivalent to an additional moderate complication. Evidence was found that TTO values are not responsive in cases where 3 or more multiple complications are present, and therefore may underestimate utility loss for patients most adversely affected by complex chronic diseases like diabetes.
