Search

Background: Most countries are off-track to achieve global maternal and newborn health goals. Global stakeholders agree that investment in midwifery is an important element of the solution. During a global shortage of health workers, strategic decisions must be made about how to configure services to achieve the best possible outcomes with the available resources. This paper aims to assess the relationship between the strength of low- and middle-income countries' (LMICs') midwifery profession and key maternal and newborn health outcomes, and thus to prompt policy dialogue about service configuration. Methods: Using the most recent available data from publicly available global databases for the period 2000–2020, we conducted an ecological study to examine the association between the number of midwives per 10,000 population and: (i) maternal mortality, (ii) neonatal mortality, and (iii) caesarean birth rate in LMICs. We developed a composite measure of the strength of the midwifery profession, and examined its relationship with maternal mortality. Results: In LMICs (especially low-income countries), higher availability of midwives is associated with lower maternal and neonatal mortality. In upper-middle-income countries, higher availability of midwives is associated with caesarean birth rates close to 10–15%. However, some countries achieved good outcomes without increasing midwife availability, and some have increased midwife availability and not achieved good outcomes. Similarly, while stronger midwifery service structures are associated with greater reductions in maternal mortality, this is not true in every country. Conclusions: A complex web of health system factors and social determinants contribute to maternal and newborn health outcomes, but there is enough evidence from this and other studies to indicate that midwives can be a highly cost-effective element of national strategies to improve these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to use the Person-Centered Coordinated Care Experience Questionnaire (P3CEQ) to assess the experience of person-centered coordinated care among people with long-term conditions in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Methods: Over 1300 participants receiving treatment for chronic conditions or HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis were invited to complete the P3CEQ and a socio-demographic questionnaire, both administered electronically via the Naveta app. The P3CEQ assesses the key domains of the P3C through an 11-item questionnaire. Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 assess specifically person-centredness (PC subscale), while items 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 measure care coordination (CC subscale; question 7 includes 4 sub-questions to specifically assess care plans). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize patient characteristics and P3CEQ items scores. Data analysis included chi-squared test of independence, Student's t -test and analysis of variance test. Pairwise comparisons were adjusted by Bonferroni correction. Results: The P3CEQ and a socio-demographic questionnaire were sent to 1313 individuals (651 men, 657 women, 5 'other gender'). A response rate of 35.34% was achieved, with 464 P3CEQ responders (223 men and 241 women). Significant differences in response rates were observed by age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, membership of patient organizations, and use of alternative medicine. Care planning was rated significantly lower than other measured domains. Women experienced less person-centered care than men (16.64 vs 17.91) and rated care coordination worse than their male counterparts (9.18 vs 10.23). There were also differences in scores between medical condition types, with cancer and inflammatory bowel disease patients rating highest for both person-centered care (21.20 and 19.13, respectively) and care coordination (10.70 vs 10.88, respectively). Patients with skin and rheumatic diseases rated lowest their experience of person-centered care. People with higher education and those employed or studying experienced better person-centeredness. Conclusion: Using the P3CEQ, we detected significant differences in the care experiences of people with chronic conditions, suggesting the need to address potential gender biases, social inequalities, and the poorer ratings observed for certain conditions in the study population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Economic evaluations are being conducted with increasing frequency in the maternity care setting, with more randomized controlled trials containing a health economic component. Key emerging criticisms of economic evaluation in maternity care are lack of robust data collection and measurement, inconsistencies in methodology, and lack of adherence to reporting guidelines. Methods: This article provides a guide to the design of economic evaluations alongside clinical trials in maternal health. We include economic concepts and considerations for the maternity setting and provide examples from the UK and Australia. Results: There are many important considerations for the design of economic evaluations alongside clinical trials. To be effective, researchers must select types of economic evaluation, which align with their study objectives; choose an appropriate evaluation perspective, time horizon, and discount rate; and identify accurate ways to measure and evaluate health outcomes and costs. Discussion: This guide is written for noneconomists and can be used for designing economic evaluations to be conducted as a part of clinical trials. We seek to improve the quality, consistency, and transparency of economic evaluations in maternal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value based healthcare beyond the clinical domain is the focus of this case study. We share NSW Health's experiences in achieving value through a focus on outcomes in non-clinical and clinical support services using examples that demonstrate key aspects across the commissioning cycle. These include: the importance of stakeholder engagement in the planning phase to later success; the critical role of non-clinical services in patient experience; the opportunity to facilitate value by introducing new approaches in business areas such as procurement; and the role of clinical supports such as digital enablement to facilitate outcome-focussed clinical models. Applying a value lens to non-clinical services can increase the potential benefits to patients, clinicians and the system. What is known about the topic? Value based healthcare is a way of making transparent and equitable decisions about resource allocation to deliver better outcomes for individuals, health services and the system. What does this paper add? This paper reflects on the opportunity to deliver value based healthcare beyond clinical models of care, including in non-clinical and clinical support services, using a commissioning approach. What are the implications for practitioners? The learnings shared through the case studies presented can be applied by practitioners to their own projects to support value based approaches across all aspects of health care. This article belongs to the Special Issue: Value-based Healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Das deutsche Gesundheitssystem ist eines der leistungsstärksten weltweit, das Potenzial für Patient:innen und die Gesellschaft als Ganzes enorm. Leider nutzen wir dieses Potenzial bei Weitem (noch) nicht aus. Wir lassen uns unsere Gesundheit viel kosten – gesünder sind wir jedoch nicht: Im Verhältnis zum Bruttoinlandsprodukt sind unsere Gesundheitsausgaben laut OECD-Ranking (1) die zweithöchsten, direkt nach den USA. Im Hinblick auf Lebenserwartung, Mortalität und Selbsteinschätzung des Gesundheitszustands ist Deutschland jedoch bestenfalls Mittelmaß. Können, oder besser: wollen wir uns das weiter leisten? Angesichts der wiederkehrenden Diskussion um eine nachhaltige Finanzierung der gesetzlichen Krankenkassen sowie der gesellschaftlichen und volkswirtschaftlichen Auswirkungen von Erkrankungen scheint die Frage rhetorischer Natur. Das Ziel muss ein Gesundheitssystem sein, das die individuell bestmögliche Versorgung für alle Menschen in diesem System gewährleistet und dabei nachhaltig finanzierbar ist. Das vorliegende gemeinsame Positionspapier ist als Diskussionsgrundlage gedacht. Es beschreibt das Konzept und den Mehrwert einer wert- und outcomeorientierten Gesundheitsversorgung im Sinne von Value Based Healthcare (VBHC) für Menschen, System und Gesellschaft und zeigt Handlungsfelder auf, in denen in besonderem Maße die Unterstützung durch die Politik notwendig ist.

Purpose: Sexual health is an important contributing factor for health-related quality of life, but research in this domain is scarce. Moreover, normative data are needed to interpret patient-reported outcome measures on sexual health. The aim of this study was to collect and describe normative scores of the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) and the Body Image Scale (BIS) from the Dutch population and assess the effect of important demographic and clinical variables on the outcome. As the FSDS is also validated in men, we refer to it as SDS. Method: Dutch respondents completed the SDS and BIS between May and August 2022. Sexual distress was defined as a SDS score > 15. Descriptive statistics were calculated to present normative data per age group per gender after post-stratification weighting was applied. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the effect of age, gender, education, relationship status, history of cancer and (psychological) comorbidities on SDS and BIS. Results: For the SDS 768 respondents were included with a weighted mean score of 14.41 (SD 10.98). Being female (OR 1.77, 95% CI [1.32; 2.39]), having a low educational level (OR 2.02, CI [1.37; 2.39]) and psychological comorbidities (OR: 4.86, 95% CI [2.17; 10.88]) were associated with sexual distress. For the BIS, 696 respondents were included. Female gender (β: 2.63, 95% CI [2.13; 3.13]), psychological comorbidities (β: 2.45, 95% CI [1.43; 3.47]), higher age (β: −0.07, 95% CI [−0.09; −0.05]), and a high educational level (β:−1.21, CI: −1.79 to −0.64) were associated with the non-disease related questions of the Body Image Scale. Conclusion: This study provides age- and gender-dependent normative values for the SDS and the non-disease related questions of the BIS. Sexual distress and body image are influenced by gender, education level, relationship status and psychological comorbidities. Moreover, age is positively associated with Body Image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Giornale Italiano di Health Technology Assessment Delivery is the property of Springer Healthcare Italia Srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

IntroductionVulvar cancer (VC) accounts for

Favoring innovation by making timely medical technology available to people and by securing patients' safety is a challenge. The new European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) will have a central implication in the development of new devices and could affect their innovation and availability, as well as discourage investment in research within Europe. Start-ups and small companies might not be able to cope with the increasing complexity and the required changes of perspective. Health-care institutions are facing an increasing availability of complex technologies, while data on their clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness are rarely provided. A partnership/collaboration between health-care institutions, academia, and private industries will enhance their own specific interests with the common goal of improving overall health and quality of life. The complexity of the subject combined with the variety of specialists and stakeholders involved requires the implementation, in hospital centers of clinical excellence, of units dedicated to the whole path of the medical device innovation. Stakeholders should quickly provide adequate measures to facilitate the complex medical device innovation path under the more stringent MDR aimed to increase safety and quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In einem Panel der diesjährigen Handelsblatt-Tagung „Pharma“ diskutierten Dr. Dorothee Brakmann, Leiterin Marketing- und Sales-Strategie im Bereich Onkologie/Hämatologie sowie Mitglied der deutschen Geschäftsleitung bei Janssen, und Dr. Stefan Knupfer, Stellvertretender Vorsitzender des Vorstandes und Bevollmächtigter des Vorstandes der AOK PLUS, Aspekte der „Value Based Healthcare“ – aus Sicht der Pharmaindustrie und aus Sicht einer großen Krankenkasse. Die inhaltlichen Übereinstimmungen vieler Aussagen waren derart frappant, dass „Monitor Versorgungsforschung“ die beiden bat, das Thema mit Dr. Dr. Klaus Piwernetz, einem der Autoren des Fachbuchs „Strategiewechsel jetzt!“, in einem gemeinsamen Interview nicht nur zu vertiefen, sondern auch mögliche Ansätze zu erarbeiten.

„Unsere Gesundheitsversorgung gemeinsam neu ausrichten – eine Allianz für Value Based Healthcare“, regt das Pharmaunternehmen Janssen in seinem aktuellen Whitepaper VBHC, das während der letzten Janssen-Open-House-Onlineworkshops (JOH) entstanden ist, an. In ihrem Editorial schreiben Dr. Dorothee Brakmann und Christian Hilmer, beide Mitglieder der Geschäftsleitung von Janssen Deutschland, dass Value Based Healthcare (VBHC) „keine Erfindung von uns, aber schon lange unser Herzensthema“ sei. Das Ziel sei „ein leistungsfähiges, bezahlbares Gesundheitssystem, in dem jeder Mensch die Chance auf die jeweils individuell richtige Therapie zum individuell richtigen Zeitpunkt“ habe.

Background: Value-Based Health Care (VBHC) is an evolving model of healthcare delivery aimed at achieving better patient outcomes at lower costs to the healthcare provider. The practise of VBHC requires efficient information systems with good reporting capability and subsequent outcome measuring. Information systems within the National Health Service (NHS) are often multiple and not necessarily integrated to one another. We therefore developed a systematic approach to collecting, validating and analysing data from multiple sources and information systems, with the aim of designing and endorsing an automatic system to capture health outcomes data in heart failure to support future VBHC models. Methods: A retrospective cohort of heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction undergoing Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) or Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) procedures within a limited geographical area in South London were evaluated. A purpose built database was created to integrate, transform and validate health care data from multiple information systems. Results: Validation analysis shows that our implemented methodology has produced a robust dataset. Our limited cohort of 134 patients does not allow for any complex statistical analysis however has identified some important themes related to outcomes and costs. Conclusion: We have created a validated database specific to our Trust that can be upscaled locally with ease and transferred to other health diseases. Due to variations in local procedure from one Trust to another, this methodology now requires implementation across multiple sites to understand differences in transformation of data and outcome measuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carla M Bastemeijer,1 Hileen Boosman,2 Hans van Ewijk,3 Lisanne M Verweij,4 Lennard Voogt,5 Jan A Hazelzet41MMT, Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; 2Department of Quality & Patient Safety, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; 3Department of Normative Professionalization, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, the Netherlands; 4Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; 5Department of Physical Therapy Studies, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Rotterdam, the NetherlandsPurpose: In the era of value-based healthcare, one strives for the most optimal outcomes and experiences from the perspective of the patient. So, patient experiences have become a key quality indicator for healthcare. While these are supposed to drive quality improvement (QI), their use and effectiveness for this purpose has been questioned. The aim of this systematic review was to provide insight into QI interventions used in a hospital setting and their effects on improving patient experiences, and possible barriers and promoters for QI work.Methods: Prisma guidelines were used to design this review. International academic literature was searched in Embase, Medline OvidSP, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, PubMed Publisher, Scopus, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar. In total, 3,289 studies were retrieved and independently screened by the first two authors for eligibility and methodological quality. Data was extracted on the study purpose, setting, design, targeted patient experience domains, QI strategies, results of QI, barriers, and promotors for QI.Results: Twenty-one pre–post intervention studies were included for review. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using a Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) Tool. QI strategies used were staff education, patient education, audit and feedback, clinician reminders, organizational change, and policy change. Twenty studies reported improvement in patient experience, 14 studies of the 21 included studies reported statistical significance. Most studies (n=17) reported data-related barriers (eg, questionnaire quality), professional, and/or organizational barriers (eg, skepticism among staff), and 14 studies mentioned specific promoters (eg, engaging staff and patients) for QI.Conclusions: Several patient experience domains are targeted for QI using diverse strategies and methodological approaches. Most studies reported at least one improvement and also barriers and promoters that may influence QI work. Future research should address these barriers and promoters in order to enhance methodological quality and improve patient experiences.Keywords: PREM, value based healthcare, outcomes, quality indicators

Use of patient-reported measures (PRMs) in healthcare is increasing internationally. In New South Wales (NSW) Australia the implementation of a system-wide PRMs program is underway. This program is an enabler for value based healthcare. We report an evaluation (2015/16) of this program's first year. We evaluated the program using mixed methods. People living with chronic conditions from 18 sites across NSW completed PROMIS10 at all sites; DASS21 and CAT administered at selected sites depending on patient cohorts. PRM completion rates and mean scores were calculated. Stakeholder interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. PRM completion rates were high at baseline (69%) but suboptimal at follow-up time-points. Mean scores indicated people with back pain had worse physical health and stress compared to those with other conditions. People with alcohol or drug problems had worse mental health, disease symptoms, depression and anxiety compared to other conditions. Stakeholders reported collection of PRMs could improve health outcomes for patients, enhance service delivery, and reduce avoidable hospital admissions. Routine collection and use of PRMs can be implemented across NSW care settings. Several challenges need to be overcome to realise the full benefits of the PRM program and to improve follow-up completion rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring quality of care with Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) is becoming increasingly important. With this study we evaluated ESWL and URS treatments with PROMs/PREMs and gained experience with the execution and implementation of PROMs/PREMs in daily practice. A longitudinal survey study was performed with ESWL and URS urolithiasis patients, using a questionnaire directly (T0-response 69.8%, n = 51) and 10 days after treatment (T1-response 56%, n = 42). Problems on performing daily activities were experienced by 54.2% of ESWL and 61.1% of URS-patients. In the two weeks after treatment 45.8% of the ESWL group and 70.6% of the URS-patients uses pain medication. URS-patients miss more workdays (5.61 versus 1.26 p = 0.025). Patient satisfaction is similar in both groups. With this study we have made a start with PROMs and PREMs for urolithiasis patients. It shows that urolithiasis treatment has influence on patient's life. More knowledge in this area will improve shared decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) have a substantial impact on patients' health status, yet research on the extent of healthcare utilization and costs among these patients is scarce. The objective was to determine healthcare usage, associated costs, and their determinants among patients treated for an NFPA. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 167 patients treated for an NFPA completed four validated questionnaires. Annual healthcare utilization and associated costs were assessed through the medical consumption questionnaire (MTA iMCQ). In addition, the Leiden Bother and Needs Questionnaire for pituitary patients (LBNQ-Pituitary), Short Form-36 (SF-36), and EuroQol (EQ-5D) were administered. Furthermore, age, sex, endocrine status, treatment, and duration of follow-up were extracted from the medical records. Associations were analyzed using logistic/linear regression. Results: Annual healthcare utilization included: consultation of an endocrinologist (95% of patients), neurosurgeon (14%), and/or ophthalmologist (58%). Fourteen percent of patients had ≥1 hospitalization(s) and 11% ≥1 emergency room visit(s). Mean overall annual healthcare costs were € 3040 (SD 6498), highest expenditures included medication (31%), inpatient care (28%), and specialist care (17%). Factors associated with higher healthcare utilization and costs were greater self-perceived disease bother and need for support, worse mental and physical health status, younger age, and living alone. Conclusion: Healthcare usage and costs among patients treated for an NFPA are substantial and were associated with self-perceived health status, disease bother, and healthcare needs rather than endocrine status, treatment, or duration of follow-up. These findings suggest that targeted interventions addressing disease bother and unmet needs in the chronic phase are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights from the article: We appreciate initiatives such as those by Egdom et al., to publish success stories on how to organise and implement Value Based Healthcare (VBHC). Even more, we appreciate publication of papers on VBHC implementation in scientific journals, as this allows VBHC initiatives to become part of a peer-reviewed scientific literature base, that is accessed by a broad, international public.