Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Injection drug use (IDU) and heterosexual virus transmission both contribute to the growing mixed HIV epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In Ukraine-chosen in this study as a representative country-IDU-related risk behaviors cause half of new infections, but few injection drug users (IDUs) receive methadone substitution therapy. Only 10% of eligible individuals receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). The appropriate resource allocation between these programs has not been studied. We estimated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of strategies for expanding methadone substitution therapy programs and ART in mixed HIV epidemics, using Ukraine as a case study.

METHODS AND FINDINGS:

We developed a dynamic compartmental model of the HIV epidemic in a population of non-IDUs, IDUs using opiates, and IDUs on methadone substitution therapy, stratified by HIV status, and populated it with data from the Ukraine. We considered interventions expanding methadone substitution therapy, increasing access to ART, or both. We measured health care costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), HIV prevalence, infections averted, and incremental cost-effectiveness. Without incremental interventions, HIV prevalence reached 67.2% (IDUs) and 0.88% (non-IDUs) after 20 years. Offering methadone substitution therapy to 25% of IDUs reduced prevalence most effectively (to 53.1% IDUs, 0.80% non-IDUs), and was most cost-effective, averting 4,700 infections and adding 76,000 QALYs compared with no intervention at US$530/QALY gained. Expanding both ART (80% coverage of those eligible for ART according to WHO criteria) and methadone substitution therapy (25% coverage) was the next most cost-effective strategy, adding 105,000 QALYs at US$1,120/QALY gained versus the methadone substitution therapy-only strategy and averting 8,300 infections versus no intervention. Expanding only ART (80% coverage) added 38,000 QALYs at US$2,240/QALY gained versus the methadone substitution therapy-only strategy, and averted 4,080 infections versus no intervention. Offering ART to 80% of non-IDUs eligible for treatment by WHO criteria, but only 10% of IDUs, averted only 1,800 infections versus no intervention and was not cost effective.

CONCLUSIONS:

Methadone substitution therapy is a highly cost-effective option for the growing mixed HIV epidemic in Ukraine. A strategy that expands both methadone substitution therapy and ART to high levels is the most effective intervention, and is very cost effective by WHO criteria. When expanding ART, access to methadone substitution therapy provides additional benefit in infections averted. Our findings are potentially relevant to other settings with mixed HIV epidemics. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Abstract

When making decisions, individuals must often compensate for cognitive limitations, particularly in the face of advanced age. Recent findings suggest that age-related variability in striatal activity may increase financial risk-taking mistakes in older adults. In two studies, we sought to further characterize neural contributions to optimal financial risk taking and to determine whether decision aids could improve financial risk taking. In Study 1, neuroimaging analyses revealed that individuals whose mesolimbic activation correlated with the expected value estimates of a rational actor made more optimal financial decisions. In Study 2, presentation of expected value information improved decision making in both younger and older adults, but the addition of a distracting secondary task had little impact on decision quality. Remarkably, provision of expected value information improved the performance of older adults to match that of younger adults at baseline. These findings are consistent with the notion that mesolimbic circuits play a critical role in optimal choice, and imply that providing simplified information about expected value may improve financial risk taking across the adult life span.

Abstract

This chapter will deal with the actual and efficient functioning of health insurance in settings where risk (expected value) of medical spending or insurance benefits varies across individuals at a given point in time or over time for a given individual. It will deal with equilibrium in insurance markets with risk variation and will also deal with various configurations of information, the impacts on such markets of regulation motivated by risk variation, and the actual and optimal impact of governmental policies to deal with risk variation in national insurance systems. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Abstract

Context: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a new noninvasive diagnostic test for coronary artery disease (CAD), but its association with subsequent clinical management has not been established. Objective: To compare utilization and spending associated with functional (stress testing) and anatomical (CCTA) noninvasive cardiac testing in a Medicare population. Design, Setting, and Patients: Retrospective, observational cohort study using claims data from a 20% random sample of 2005-2008 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries 66 years or older with no claims for CAD in the preceding year, who received nonemergent, noninvasive testing for CAD (n=282 830). Main Outcome Measures: Cardiac catheterization, coronary revascularization, acute myocardial infarction, all-cause mortality, and total and CAD-related Medicare spending over 180 days of follow-up. Results: Compared with stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS), CCTA was associated with an increased likelihood of subsequent cardiac catheterization (22.9% vs 12.1%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.19 [95% CI, 2.08 to 2.32]; P<.001), percutaneous coronary intervention (7.8% vs 3.4%; AOR, 2.49 [2.28 to 2.72]; P<.001), and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (3.7% vs 1.3%; AOR, 3.00 [2.63 to 3.41]; P<.001). CCTA was also associated with higher total health care spending ($4200 [$3193 to $5267]; P<.001), which was almost entirely attributable to payments for any claims for CAD ($4007 [$3256 to $4835]; P<.001). Compared with MPS, there was lower associated spending with stress echocardiography (-$4981 [-$4991 to -$4969]; P<.001) and exercise electrocardiography (-$7449 [-$7452 to -$7444]; P<.001). At 180 days, CCTA was associated with a similar likelihood of all-cause mortality (1.05% vs 1.28%; AOR, 1.11 [0.88 to 1.38]; P=.32) and a slightly lower likelihood of hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (0.19% vs 0.43%; AOR, 0.60 [0.37 to 0.98]; P=.04). Conclusion: Medicare beneficiaries who underwent CCTA in a nonacute setting were more likely to undergo subsequent invasive cardiac procedures and have higher CAD related spending than patients who underwent stress testing. ©2011 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects 70 000 to 100 000 people in the United States, and 2000 infants are born with the disease each year. The purpose of this study was to review the quality of the literature for preventive interventions and treatment of complications for children with SCD to facilitate the use of evidence-based medicine in clinical practice and identify areas in need of additional research. METHODS: We searched the Ovid Medline database and the Cochrane Library for articles published between January 1995 and April 2010 for English-language abstracts on 28 topics thought to be important for the care of children with SCD. We also added pertinent references cited by studies identified in our search. Each abstract was reviewed independently by 2 authors. Data from articles retrieved for full review were abstracted by using a common form. RESULTS: There were 3188 abstracts screened, and 321 articles underwent full review. Twenty-six articles (<1% of abstracts initially screened), which consisted of 25 randomized controlled trials and 1 meta-analysis, were rated as having level I evidence. Eighteen of the 28 topics selected for this review did not have level I evidence studies published. The management and prevention of pain episodes accounted for more than one-third of the level I studies. CONCLUSIONS: Although significant strides have been made in the care of children with SCD in the past 2 decades, more research needs to be performed, especially for acute events associated with SCD, to ensure that the health and well-being of children with SCD continues to improve. Copyright © 2011 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Abstract

Objective: At times, caregivers make life-and-death decisions for loved ones. Yet very little is known about the factors that make caregivers more or less accurate as surrogate decision makers for their loved ones. Previous research suggests that in low stress situations, individuals with high attachment-related anxiety are attentive to their relationship partners' wishes and concerns, but get overwhelmed by stressful situations. Individuals with high attachment-related avoidance are likely to avoid intimacy and stressful situations altogether. We hypothesized that both of these insecure attachment patterns limit surrogates' ability to process distressing information and should therefore be associated with lower accuracy in the stressful task of predicting their loved ones' end-of-life health care wishes. Method: Older patients visiting a medical clinic stated their preferences toward end-of-life health care in different health contexts, and surrogate decision makers independently predicted those preferences. For comparison purposes, surrogates also predicted patients' perceptions of everyday living conditions so that surrogates' accuracy of their loved ones' perceptions in nonstressful situations could be assessed. Results: Surrogates high on either type of insecure attachment dimension were less accurate in predicting their loved ones' end-of-life health care wishes. It is interesting to note that even though surrogates' attachment-related anxiety was associated with lower accuracy of end-of-life health care wishes of their loved ones, it was associated with higher accuracy in the nonstressful task of predicting their loved ones' everyday living conditions. Conclusions: Attachment orientation plays an important role in accuracy about loved ones' end-of-life health care wishes. Interventions may target emotion regulation strategies associated with insecure attachment orientations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's prevention quality indicators (PQIs) are used as a metric of area-level access to quality care. Recently, interest has expanded to using the measures at the level of payer or large physician groups, including public reporting or pay-for-performance programs. However, the validity of these expanded applications is unknown.

RESEARCH DESIGN:

We conducted a novel panel process to establish face validity of the 12 PQIs at 3 denominator levels: geographic area, payer, and large physician groups; and 3 uses: quality improvement, comparative reporting, and pay for performance. Sixty-four clinician panelists were split into Delphi and Nominal Groups. We aimed to capitalize on the reliability of the Delphi method and information sharing in the Nominal group method by applying these techniques simultaneously. We examined panelists' perceived usefulness of the indicators for specific uses using median scores and agreement within and between groups.

RESULTS:

Panelists showed stronger support of the usefulness of chronic disease indicators at the payer and large physician group levels than for acute disease indicators. Panelists fully supported the usefulness of 2 indicators for comparative reporting (asthma, congestive heart failure) and no indicators for pay-for-performance applications. Panelists expressed serious concerns about the usefulness of all new applications of 3 indicators (angina, perforated appendix, dehydration). Panelists rated age, current comorbidities, earlier hospitalization, and socioeconomic status as the most important risk-adjustment factors.

CONCLUSIONS:

Clinicians supported some expanded uses of the PQIs, but generally expressed reservations. Attention to denominator definitions and risk adjustment are essential for expanded use.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Logic and experience suggest that it is easier in some situations than in others to change behaviour and organisation to improve patient safety. Knowing which 'context factors' help and hinder implementation of different changes would help implementers, as well as managers, policy makers, regulators and purchasers of healthcare. It could help to judge the likely success of possible improvements, given the conditions that they have, and to decide which of these conditions could be modified to make implementation more effective.

METHODS:

The study presented in this paper examined research to discover any evidence reported about whether or how context factors influence the effectiveness of five patient safety interventions.

RESULTS:

The review found that, for these five diverse interventions, there was little strong evidence of the influence of different context factors. However, the research was not designed to investigate context influence.

CONCLUSIONS:

The paper suggests that significant gaps in research exist and makes proposals for future research better to inform decision-making.

Abstract

Many models of infectious disease ignore the underlying contact structure through which the disease spreads. However, in order to evaluate the efficacy of certain disease control interventions, it may be important to include this network structure. We present a network modeling framework of the spread of disease and a methodology for inferring important model parameters, such as those governing network structure and network dynamics, from readily available data sources. This is a general and flexible framework with wide applicability to modeling the spread of disease through sexual or close contact networks. To illustrate, we apply this modeling framework to evaluate HIV control programs in sub-Saharan Africa, including programs aimed at concurrent partnership reduction, reductions in risky sexual behavior, and scale up of HIV treatment.