scholarly journals Coverage with Evidence Development: Applications and issues

Author(s):  
Paul Trueman ◽  
David L. Grainger ◽  
Kristen E. Downs

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the current issues surrounding Coverage with Evidence Development (CED). CED is characterized by restricted coverage for a new technology in parallel with targeted research when the stated goal of the research or data collection is to provide definitive evidence for the clinical or cost-effectiveness impact of the new technology.Methods: Presented here is information summarized and interpreted from presentations and discussions at the 2008 Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) meeting and additional information from the medical literature. This study describes the differences between CED and other conditional coverage agreements, provides a brief history of CED, describes real-world examples of CED, describes the areas of consensus between the stakeholders, discusses the areas for future negotiation between stakeholders, and proposes criteria to assist stakeholders in determining when CED could be appropriate.Results: Payers could interpret the evidence obtained from a CED program either positively or negatively, and a range of possible changes to the reimbursement status of the new technology may result. Striking an appropriate balance between the demands for prompt access to new technology and acknowledging that some degree of uncertainty will always exist is a critical challenge to the uptake of this innovative form of conditional coverage.Conclusions: When used selectively for innovative procedures, pharmaceuticals, or devices in the appropriate disease areas, CED may provide patients access to promising medicines or technologies while data to minimize uncertainty are collected.

Author(s):  
Arunabh Ghosh

In 1949, at the end of a long period of wars, one of the biggest challenges facing leaders of the new People's Republic of China was how much they did not know. The government of one of the world's largest nations was committed to fundamentally reengineering its society and economy via socialist planning while having almost no reliable statistical data about their own country. This book is the history of efforts to resolve this “crisis in counting.” The book explores the choices made by political leaders, statisticians, academics, statistical workers, and even literary figures in attempts to know the nation through numbers. It shows that early reliance on Soviet-inspired methods of exhaustive enumeration became increasingly untenable in China by the mid-1950s. Unprecedented and unexpected exchanges with Indian statisticians followed, as the Chinese sought to learn about the then-exciting new technology of random sampling. These developments were overtaken by the tumult of the Great Leap Forward (1958–1961), when probabilistic and exhaustive methods were rejected and statistics was refashioned into an ethnographic enterprise. By acknowledging Soviet and Indian influences, the book not only revises existing models of Cold War science but also globalizes wider developments in the history of statistics and data. Anchored in debates about statistics and its relationship to state building, the book offers fresh perspectives on China's transition to socialism.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (S1) ◽  
pp. 11-12
Author(s):  
Markus Wübbeler ◽  
Sebastian Geis

IntroductionOpposition parties in Germany are allowed to send formal requests to the government to control actions and pass important political debates to the parliament. These formal requests include a comprehensive analysis report issued by the scientific service of the German parliament. A systematic overview of these reports would support a deeper understanding about healthcare topics and assessments discussed by parties in the highest German decision body, particularly in the field of nursing.MethodsWe conducted a review using the German parliament “Bundestag” database for all formal requests since 1949. To systemize the formal requests we performed a quantitative category analysis using descriptive statistics.ResultsWe identified 26,197 formal requests with 146 reports related to nursing issued between 1978 and 2019. The 146 reports related to nursing accounted for 0.54 percent of all requests. Almost 30 percent of these requests were related to recruitment and qualification. The second major topic, with 15 percent, was financing of the nursing sector. Of all 146 formal requests in the history of the Bundestag, 55 percent (n = 81) were issued in the last 10 years.ConclusionsNursing is an emerging topic in the German parliament, highlighting the demographic shift in Germany and the growing pressure in the nursing care sector. Health Technology Assessment bodies should be informed and work together with the scientific services of parliamentary bodies. This would support a more transparent and evidence based healthcare system, aside from lobbyism.


2021 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 4-4
Author(s):  
Rafael Heller
Keyword(s):  

It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of new technology that appears to have potential to transform everything, including education. But, as Rafael Heller explains, educators have a long history of being seduced by technologies that never really lived up to their promise. That’s no reason to ignore technology’s potential, but plenty of reason to be realistic about what it can achieve.


2021 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-58
Author(s):  
Orietta Da Rold

Abstract In this essay, I offer a brief history of manuscript cataloguing and some observations on the innovations this practice introduced especially in the digital form. This history reveals that as the cataloguing of medieval manuscripts developed over time, so did the research needs it served. What was often considered traditional cataloguing practices had to be mediated to accommodate new scholarly advance, posing interesting questions, for example, on what new technologies can bring to this discussion. In the digital age, in particular, how do digital catalogues interact with their analogue counterparts? What skills and training are required of scholars interacting with this new technology? To this end, I will consider the importance of the digital environment to enable a more flexible approach to cataloguing. I will also discuss new insights into digital projects, especially the experience accrued by the The Production and Use of English Manuscripts 1060 to 1220 Project, and then propose that in the future cataloguing should be adaptable and shareable, and make full use of the different approaches to manuscripts generated by collaboration between scholars and librarians or the work of postgraduate students and early career researchers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-45
Author(s):  
Danielle Bragg ◽  
Naomi Caselli ◽  
Julie A. Hochgesang ◽  
Matt Huenerfauth ◽  
Leah Katz-Hernandez ◽  
...  

Sign language datasets are essential to developing many sign language technologies. In particular, datasets are required for training artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems. Though the idea of using AI/ML for sign languages is not new, technology has now advanced to a point where developing such sign language technologies is becoming increasingly tractable. This critical juncture provides an opportunity to be thoughtful about an array of Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics (FATE) considerations. Sign language datasets typically contain recordings of people signing, which is highly personal. The rights and responsibilities of the parties involved in data collection and storage are also complex and involve individual data contributors, data collectors or owners, and data users who may interact through a variety of exchange and access mechanisms. Deaf community members (and signers, more generally) are also central stakeholders in any end applications of sign language data. The centrality of sign language to deaf culture identity, coupled with a history of oppression, makes usage by technologists particularly sensitive. This piece presents many of these issues that characterize working with sign language AI datasets, based on the authors’ experiences living, working, and studying in this space.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1521.2-1521
Author(s):  
Y. Santamaria ◽  
M. Galvis ◽  
A. Vanegas

Background:Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a clinicopathologic diagnosis defined as microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) with associated features of thrombocytopenia and end-organ ischemia. Systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, and scleroderma, are within the autoimmune diseases, the more commonly associated with TMA. It has been considered that the association with Sjögren Syndrome (SS) is rare.Objectives:To describe one patient with TMA and SS, and to review all cases reported in the literature.Methods:We notified a clinical case of a patient with Sjögren’s syndrome and TMA. Then, we searched the medical literature finding a total of 17 cases reported with this association until 2019. Before the data obtained were tabulated by trained staff and descriptive, comparing groups and bivariate analysis was performed. The outcome of interest was the death of the patient. Stata 12.0 software was used.Results:A 26-years-old Colombian female presented with a 6-week history of petechiae in lower limbs, gingivorrhagia, menorrhagia and jaundice; and previous history of arthritis and xerostomia. On admission, in the context of severe thrombocytopenia and MAHA, MAT diagnosis was made. During hospitalization we confirm the diagnosis of SS with ANA, antiRo and salivary gland biopsy. The patient was treated with steroids (methylprednisolone 500 mg/day, 3 days), plasma exchange therapy (PLEX) and Cyclophosphamide (750 mg), with recovery of hemoglobin and platelet levels; however, the patient died due to a complication of the PLEX catheter removal procedure.A total of 18 patients diagnosed with de novo or prevalent Sjögren’s syndrome who had hospital admission with a diagnosis of TMA were included. The mean age was 54.55 years (Standard deviation (SD): 12.45) and 83.33% of the patients corresponded to the female gender.At admission, the mean of hemoglobin was 8.45 g/dL (SD: 2.55) and median platelets of 27250/mm3 (interquartile range (IQR) 10500 - 102000) were found. The most frequent clinical manifestations were central nervous system alterations (50%), followed by bleeding in the skin and renal failure (44.44%) and fever (27.78%). The most frequent antibodies found were anti-Ro (100%), anti-nuclear antibodies (80%) and anti-La (75%). The most frequently prescribed treatment was plasma exchange therapy (83.33%), intravenous steroids (61.11%), oral steroids (61.11%) and cyclophosphamide (27.78%). Of the total patients, 38.89% died and 27.7% had some relapse of TMA.In the group comparison analysis, differences were found in intravenous steroid (81.82% in those who lived vs. 28.57% in those who died p=0.039), use of PLEX (100% in those who survived vs. 57.14% in those who died p = 0.043), fever (9.09% in those who survived and 57.14% in those who died, p = 0.047), admission hemoglobin (7.65 g/dL in those who lived vs. 10.22 g/dL in those who died, p = 0.05), final platelets (148,000 in which who lived and 39,000 in those who died p = 0.02). Then, in the logistic regression analysis, an association was found between mortality and use of intravenous steroids (OR: 0.08, 95% CI 0.009 - 0.83, p = 0.35) and fever at admission (OR: 13.33 95% CI: 1.04 - 169.55, p = 0.046).Conclusion:While the association between TMA and SS is uncommon, so far 18 cases have been reported in the world medical literature. It is typically a condition of women age close to 50 years. The most frequent manifestations are neurological. Among the variables evaluated, only the use of endovenous steroids was associated with a decrease in the probability of mortality; on the contrary, the presence of fever at hospital admission increased the probability of death. The results should be evaluated with caution, since, due to the limited availability of information, they may not be generalizable to clinical practice. More information on this should be obtained in the future.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. e246421
Author(s):  
Rohit Mehra ◽  
Vikram Patra ◽  
Rishi Dhillan

A 31-year-old woman was referred to vascular surgeons with the history of recurrent ischaemic strokes in two cerebral artery territories over a span of 1 year. On investigation, she was found to have a right internal carotid artery web, with thrombus and a fetal right posterior cerebral artery (PCA), which explained the ischaemic strokes in right middle cerebral and PCA territory. The rare association of these two infrequent entities makes the case a singular one in the medical literature. Successful surgical excision was done after multidisciplinary teamwork. The carotid web was excised as part of carotid artery endarterectomy and repaired with great saphenous vein patch angioplasty. The patient made a good recovery.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael M Chen ◽  
Simin Mahinrad ◽  
Arth K Srivastava ◽  
Eric Liotta ◽  
Richard A Bernstein ◽  
...  

Background: Microembolic signals (MES) detected by the transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) have established prognostic value for stroke recurrence in patients with carotid stenosis. However, the frequency of MES in the context of other stroke etiologies remains unknown. Methods: All stroke admissions to Northwestern Memorial hospital between 2016-2018 who underwent TCD within the first 48 hours of admission were reviewed. Final stroke diagnosis was extracted from chart review. Presence or absence of MES was extracted from clinical TCD reports. Frequency of stroke etiology among MES groups were compared using chi-squared test. Results: A total of 789 patient charts were reviewed (mean age 62±17 years, 55% male). MES were present in 95 patients. Demographics and medical history of patients were not different among those with and without MES. Compared to patients without MES, those with MES were more frequently diagnosed with cardioembolic stroke (36.4% vs 21%, p =0.001) and less frequently with small vessel disease stroke (5.7% vs 24%, p <0.001). However, there was no difference in the frequency of cryptogenic strokes between patients with and without MES ( p =0.844). Among patients with MES, the most frequent etiologies of stroke were cardioembolic (36.4%), cryptogenic (19.3%), large vessel disease (17.1%), and small vessel disease (5.7%). Conclusion: TCD detection of MES is seen across all stroke subtypes and may provide additional information for risk stratification in secondary stroke prevention. We are currently reviewing the prognostic utility of MES for stroke recurrence in this cohort.


Author(s):  
Jessica L Johnson ◽  
Ashley Hawthorne ◽  
Michael Bounds ◽  
David J Weldon

Abstract Purpose Propofol is an intravenous sedative used in many patient populations and care settings. Although generally considered safe and effective, the drug has historically been avoided in patients with reported allergies to egg, soy, and/or peanut on the basis of the manufacturer’s prescribing information. Concerns exist for potential adverse events, increased medication costs, reduced efficacy, and risk of medication errors when using alternative agents. Here we present a critical examination of the literature concerning cross-reactivity of food allergies with propofol to provide evidence-based recommendations for the evaluation and management of potential allergic reactions. Summary Literature regarding the history of propofol allergy warnings and clinical trial data were assessed to provide an alternative perspective on avoidance of propofol in patients with food allergies. Suspected trigger molecules are discussed with evaluation of the antigenic potential of excipient ingredients used in the manufacture of multiple propofol formulations. Evidence-based recommendations are provided for pharmacist-led screening of adult patients with reported food allergies to support selection of propofol or alternative therapy. Conclusion There is a lack of definitive evidence that propofol must be routinely avoided in patients with reported allergies to egg, soy, and/or peanut products. Data from clinical trials suggest that propofol is safe for patients with nonanaphylactic food allergies. Patients who do experience allergic reactions following administration of propofol should undergo further testing to definitively identify the specific trigger and prevent future unnecessary avoidance of preferred medication regimens. Pharmacists can play an important role in interviewing patients with reported food allergies to better determine the risk vs benefit of propofol avoidance.


1980 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. T. Rolfe

Since World War II, periodic changes in the fabrication, design, and material specifications for ship steels have been made to preclude brittle fractures. These various changes are described briefly, along with a history of fracture control for ships to serve as background information for a discussion of the present-day structural integrity program for ships in the marine industry. As additional information related to the structural integrity of ship structures, a review of two recent ship failures (e.g., the Ingram Barge in 1972 and the Chester A. Poling in 1977) is presented to demonstrate some of the factors involved in brittle fractures of ships. In both of these failures there were other factors contributing to the final brittle fractures that were more important than the notch toughness levels. These factors are reviewed as the basis for an observation regarding the overall structural integrity of merchant ships.


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