Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Redesigning Chronic Disease Services

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 15330

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Stephanie Stock

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology of the University Hospital of Cologne (AöR), Gleueler Str. 176-178, 50935 Cologne, Germany
Interests: health economics and clinical epidemiology; patient centred care; innovative models of care in chronic disease; health economics; health literacy; application of instruments of behavioral economics in chronic care

Dr. Adrienne Alayli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute for Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology of the University Hospital of Cologne (AöR), Federal Centre for Health Education (BzgA), Gleueler Str. 176-178, 50935 Cologne, Germany
Interests: health economics; health promotion and chronic disease prevention; implementation research

Dr. Bert Vrijhoef

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Panaxea, Matrix II, Science Park 400, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2. Maastricht University Medical Center, P. Debyelaan 25, 6229 HX Maastricht, Netherlands
3. Dutch Stroke Knowledge Platform, Oudlaan 4, 3515 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
Interests: health technology assessment; health care innovations; care coordination; skill mix; mixed methods research

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Health technology assessment (HTA) refers to the systematic evaluation of properties, effects and/or impacts of innovations in healthcare and prevention to redesign health services. It seeks to support informed decisions about alternative policy options by providing robust evidence presented in an understandable way. Decisions about redesigning chronic disease services involve questions regarding social, economic, ethical, and organizational aspects. HTA consists of a multidisciplinary toolbox which can support decision makers at the national, provincial, regional and local level, who have to allocate scarce resources, while considering access to care, preferences of patients and other stakeholders, feasibility of implementation, as well as patients’ health literacy, health behavior and disease management skills when redesigning chronic disease services.

This Special Issue, entitled “The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Redesigning Chronic Disease Services”, in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Section Health Economics, seeks high-quality research articles with novel applications of HTA methods to improve and redesign chronic disease services and supports the patient-centeredness of care. The scope of this issue includes comparative economic analyses, the economic impact of new models of care, preferences of patients and other stakeholders to inform the redesign of health services delivery, organizations and public health programs, behavioral economic studies to support self-management in chronic care and analyses of panel data to assess socio-economic and health system influences on chronic disease disparities. This Special Issue welcomes original scientific contributions based on empirical methods, modeling studies, behavioral experiments, as well as theoretical frameworks and critical reviews.

Prof. Dr. Stephanie Stock
Dr. Adrienne Alayli
Dr. Bert Vrijhoef
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

health technology assessment
decision-making
chronic disease
redesign
application of economic methods
economic evaluation
cost-analysis
cost-effectiveness
preferences
economic burden
health services research
behavioral economics
equity

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Other

10 pages, 1176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reaching Frail Elderly Patients to Optimize Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation (REAFEL): A Feasibility Study of a Cross-Sectoral Shared-Care Model

by Caroline Thorup Ladegaard, Carsten Bamberg, Mathias Aalling, Dorthea Marie Jensen, Nina Kamstrup-Larsen, Christoffer Valdorff Madsen, Sadaf Kamil, Henrik Gudbergsen, Thomas Saxild, Michaela Louise Schiøtz, Julie Grew, Luana Sandoval Castillo, Anne Frølich and Helena Domínguez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7383; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127383 - 16 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1537

Abstract

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) management in primary care often requires a referral to cardiology clinics, which can be strenuous for frail patients. We developed “cardio-share” (CS), a new cross-sector collaboration model, to ease this process. General practitioners (GPs) can use a compact Holter monitor (C3 from Cortrium) to receive remote advice from the cardiologist. Objective: To test the feasibility and acceptability of the CS model to manage suspected AF in frail elderly patients. Methods: We used a mixed methods design, including the preparation of qualitative semistructured interviews of GPs and nurses. Results: Between MAR-2019 and FEB-2020, 54 patients were consulted through the CS model, of whom 35 underwent C3 Holter monitoring. The time from referral to a final Holter report was shortened from a mean (SD) of 117 (45) days in usual care to 30 days (13) with the CS model. Furthermore, 90% of the patients did not need to attend visits at the cardiology clinic. The GPs and nurses highlighted the ease of using the C3 monitor. Their perception was that patients were confident in the GPs’ collaboration with cardiologists. Conclusions: The CS model using a C3 monitor for AF is both feasible and seems acceptable to GPs. The elapsed time from referral to the Holter report performed for the diagnosis was significantly reduced. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Redesigning Chronic Disease Services)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 2215 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Public Participation in Public Health Offerings: Patient Preferences for Facilities in the Western Cape Province Using a Discrete Choice Experiment

by Plaxcedes Chiwire, Charlotte Beaudart, Silvia M. Evers, Hassan Mahomed and Mickaël Hiligsmann

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(1), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010590 - 05 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2027

Abstract

Understanding patients’ preferences for health facilities could help decision makers in designing patient-centered services. Therefore, this study aims to understand how patients’ willingness to trade for certain attributes affects the choice of public health facilities in the Western Cape province of Cape Town, South Africa. A discrete choice experiment was conducted in two community day centers (CDCs). Patients repetitively chose between two hypothetical health facilities that differed in six attributes: distance to facility, treatment by doctors vs. nurses, confidentiality during treatment, availability of medication, first visit (drop-in) waiting times, and appointment waiting times. The sample consisted of 463 participants. The findings showed that availability of medication (50.5%), appointment waiting times (19.5%), and first visit waiting times (10.2%) were the most important factors for patients when choosing a health facility. In addition, respondents preferred shorter appointment and first visit waiting times (<2 h). These results identified important characteristics in choosing public health facilities in Cape Town. These public health facilities could be improved by including patient voices to inform operational and policy decisions in a low-income setting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Redesigning Chronic Disease Services)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1722 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Expectations for the Development of Health Technology Assessment in Brazil

by Julia Simões Corrêa Galendi, Carlos Antonio Caramori, Clarissa Lemmen, Dirk Müller and Stephanie Stock

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 11912; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182211912 - 13 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2028

Abstract

The implementation of health technology assessment (HTA) in emerging countries depends on the characteristics of the health care system and the needs of public health care. The objective of this survey was to investigate experts’ expectations for the development of HTA in Brazil and to derive measures to strengthen the impact of HTA in Brazil on health care decisions. Based on a scoping literature review, a questionnaire was developed proposing eight theses for seven domains of HTA: (i) capacity building, (ii) public involvement, (iii) role of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), (iv) institutional framework, (v) scope of HTA studies, (vi) methodology of HTA, and (vii) HTA as the basis for jurisdiction. Thirty experts responded in full to the survey and agreed to five of the eight theses proposed. Experts suggested several measures to promote HTA within the scope of each domain, thus addressing capacity building related to HTA, availability, and reliability of population data, and legal endowment of the HTA system. Finally, HTA processes in Brazil should also address public health issues (e.g., appraisal of interventions directed at chronic diseases). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Redesigning Chronic Disease Services)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

11 pages, 603 KiB

Open AccessStudy Protocol

Personalised Dosing Using the CURATE.AI Algorithm: Protocol for a Feasibility Study in Patients with Hypertension and Type II Diabetes Mellitus

by Amartya Mukhopadhyay, Jennifer Sumner, Lieng Hsi Ling, Raphael Hao Chong Quek, Andre Teck Huat Tan, Gim Gee Teng, Santhosh Kumar Seetharaman, Satya Pavan Kumar Gollamudi, Dean Ho and Mehul Motani

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 8979; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19158979 - 23 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2182

Abstract

Chronic diseases typically require long-term management through healthy lifestyle practices and pharmacological intervention. Although efficacious treatments exist, disease control is often sub-optimal leading to chronic disease-related sequela. Poor disease control can partially be explained by the ‘one size fits all’ pharmacological approach. Precision medicine aims to tailor treatments to the individual. CURATE.AI is a dosing optimisation platform that considers individual factors to improve the precision of drug therapies. CURATE.AI has been validated in other therapeutic areas, such as cancer, but has yet to be applied in chronic disease care. We will evaluate the CURATE.AI system through a single-arm feasibility study (n = 20 hypertensives and n = 20 type II diabetics). Dosing decisions will be based on CURATE.AI recommendations. We will prospectively collect clinical and qualitative data and report on the clinical effect, implementation challenges, and acceptability of using CURATE.AI. In addition, we will explore how to enhance the algorithm further using retrospective patient data. For example, the inclusion of other variables, the simultaneous optimisation of multiple drugs, and the incorporation of other artificial intelligence algorithms. Overall, this project aims to understand the feasibility of using CURATE.AI in clinical practice. Barriers and enablers to CURATE.AI will be identified to inform the system’s future development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Redesigning Chronic Disease Services)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 1403 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Key Care Provision Aspects That Affect Care Transition in the Long-Term Care Systems: Preliminary Review Findings

by Estera Wieczorek, Ewa Kocot, Silvia Evers, Christoph Sowada and Milena Pavlova

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6402; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116402 - 24 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2212

Abstract

The aim of this brief report is to present the protocol and preliminary findings of a systematic review on key aspects of care provision that affect care transition of older adults 60+ within the long-term care systems. This brief report describes and classifies the relevant literature found in the review with the purpose to provide a base for further full systematic reviews, and to outlines a model of organizational and financing aspects that affect care transition. Our search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL on 2 March 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The protocol was registered at the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (number: CRD42020162566). Ultimately, 229 full-text records were found eligible for further deliberation. We observed an increase in the number of publications on organizational and financial aspects of care transition since 2005. Majority of publications came from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. In total, 213 (92%) publications discussed organizational aspects and only 16 (8%) publications were related to financial aspects. Records on organizational aspects were grouped into the following themes: communication among involved professional groups, coordination of resources, transfer of information and care responsibility of the patient, training and education of staff, e-health, education and involvement of the patient and family, social care, and opinion of patients. Publications on financial aspects were grouped into provider payment mechanisms, incentives and penalties. Overall, our search pointed out various care provision aspects being studied in the literature, which can be explored in detail in subsequent full systematic reviews focused on given aspects. We also present a model based on our preliminary findings, which enables us to better understand what kind of provision aspects affect care transition. This model can be tested and validated in subsequent research. Understating factors that affect care transition is crucial to improve the quality of transitions and ultimately the outcomes for the patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Redesigning Chronic Disease Services)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 1306 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Effectiveness of Strategies for Nutritional Therapy for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and/or Hypertension in Primary Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Julia Simões Corrêa Galendi, Renata Giacomini Occhiuto Ferreira Leite, Luísa Rocco Banzato and Vania dos Santos Nunes-Nogueira

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4243; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074243 - 02 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3955

Abstract

A central aspect to the management of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension is promoting a healthy lifestyle, and nutritional therapy (NT) can support patients achieving glycemic control and blood pressure targets. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of NT in the management of patients with T2DM and/or hypertension in primary care. Primary outcomes were HbA1c, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Thirty-nine studies were included, thirty on T2DM and nine on hypertension. With a moderate quality of evidence, educational/counseling programs and food replacement programs in primary care likely reduce HbA1c on patients with T2DM (mean difference (MD): −0.37, 95% CI: −0.57 to −0.17, 7437 patients, 27 studies; MD: −0.54, 95% CI: −0.75 to −0.32, 440 patients, 2 studies, respectively). Mediterranean diet for T2DM was accessed by one study, and no difference between the groups was found. Educational and counseling programs likely reduce DBP in patients with hypertension (MD: −1.79, 95% CI: −3.46, −0.12, 2840 patients, 9 studies, moderate quality of the evidence), but the effect in SBP was unclear due to risk of bias and imprecision. Nutritional therapy strategies (i.e., educational/counseling programs and food replacement programs) in primary care improved HbA1c in patients with T2DM and DBP in individuals with hypertension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Health Technology Assessment in Redesigning Chronic Disease Services)

► Show Figures