Health action process approach in oral health behaviour: Target interventions, constructs and groups-A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to systematically map the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA)-based interventions in dentistry in relation to the type of intervention, the target groups and the constructs of the HAPA model that are used in the study and to assess the clinical relevance of the studies. METHODS: A search in the databases of the National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE-PubMed), PsychINFO and Cochrane-CENTRAL was conducted. A quality assessment to estimate the risk of bias and a qualitative descriptive analysis were performed. The overall gathered evidence was graded. RESULTS: Ten randomized controlled trials and three observational studies thus in total 13 studies were included. Flossing was the targeted behaviour in ten studies. The target groups consisted of students, adolescents and dental patients. Overall, all nine HAPA constructs were used, but only one study used all HAPA constructs. Six studies presented the used behavioural change techniques according to the BCT taxonomy. Based on the number of the used constructs, only two studies were classified as HAPA intervention studies. The most frequently used constructs were action control as an intervention and behaviour as an outcome measure. The overall evidence was graded with moderate certainty. CONCLUSION: In the majority of the studies, the targeted intervention was flossing and the population consisted of students, adolescents and dental patients. All studies used only a selection of the HAPA constructs. Therefore, only a minority of the studies can be considered real HAPA intervention studies.

A model framework for projecting the prevalence and impact of Long-COVID in the UK.

The objective of this paper is to model lost Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) from symptoms arising from COVID-19 disease in the UK population, including symptoms of 'long-COVID'. The scope includes QALYs lost to symptoms, but not deaths, due to acute COVID-19 and long-COVID. The prevalence of symptomatic COVID-19, encompassing acute symptoms and long-COVID symptoms, was modelled using a decay function. Permanent injury as a result of COVID-19 infection, was modelled as a fixed prevalence. Both parts were combined to calculate QALY loss due to COVID-19 symptoms. Assuming a 60% final attack rate for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population, we modelled 299,730 QALYs lost within 1 year of infection (90% due to symptomatic COVID-19 and 10% permanent injury) and 557,764 QALYs lost within 10 years of infection (49% due to symptomatic COVID-19 and 51% due to permanent injury). The UK Government willingness-to-pay to avoid these QALY losses would be £17.9 billion and £32.2 billion, respectively. Additionally, 90,143 people were subject to permanent injury from COVID-19 (0.14% of the population). Given the ongoing development in information in this area, we present a model framework for calculating the health economic impacts of symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This model framework can aid in quantifying the adverse health impact of COVID-19, long-COVID and permanent injury following COVID-19 in society and assist the proactive management of risk posed to health. Further research is needed using standardised measures of patient reported outcomes relevant to long-COVID and applied at a population level.

Construction of a demand and capacity model for intensive care and hospital ward beds, and mortality from COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: This paper describes a model for estimating COVID-19 related excess deaths that are a direct consequence of insufficient hospital ward bed and intensive care unit (ICU) capacity. METHODS: Compartmental models were used to estimate deaths under different combinations of ICU and ward care required and received in England up to late April 2021. Model parameters were sourced from publicly available government information and organisations collating COVID-19 data. A sub-model was used to estimate the mortality scalars that represent increased mortality due to insufficient ICU or general ward bed capacity. Three illustrative scenarios for admissions numbers, 'Optimistic', 'Middling' and 'Pessimistic', were modelled and compared with the subsequent observations to the 3rd February. RESULTS: The key output was the demand and capacity model described. There were no excess deaths from a lack of capacity in the 'Optimistic' scenario. Several of the 'Middling' scenario applications resulted in excess deaths-up to 597 deaths (0.6% increase) with a 20% reduction compared to best estimate ICU capacity. All the 'Pessimistic' scenario applications resulted in excess deaths, ranging from 49,178 (17.0% increase) for a 20% increase in ward bed availability, to 103,735 (35.8% increase) for a 20% shortfall in ward bed availability. These scenarios took no account of the emergence of the new, more transmissible, variant of concern (b.1.1.7). CONCLUSIONS: Mortality is increased when hospital demand exceeds available capacity. No excess deaths from breaching capacity would be expected under the 'Optimistic' scenario. The 'Middling' scenario could result in some excess deaths-up to a 0.7% increase relative to the total number of deaths. The 'Pessimistic' scenario would have resulted in significant excess deaths. Our sensitivity analysis indicated a range between 49,178 (17% increase) and 103,735 (35.8% increase). Given the new variant, the pessimistic scenario appeared increasingly likely and could have resulted in a substantial increase in the number of COVID-19 deaths. In the event, it would appear that capacity was not breached at any stage at a national level with no excess deaths. it will remain unclear if minor local capacity breaches resulted in any small number of excess deaths.

Implementation of the harmonized EU isotretinoin Pregnancy Prevention Programme: a questionnaire survey among European regulatory agencies.

BACKGROUND: There is little information on the status of the implementation of the isotretinoin Pregnancy Prevention Programme (PPP) in the EU, and on compliance with this programme by the regulatory agencies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to obtain information on implementation of the harmonized PPP of isotretinoin in the EU member states plus Norway and Iceland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In January 2009, a questionnaire (request for non-urgent information [NUI]) was sent to all 25 EU member states, plus Norway and Iceland, to collect information on the implementation status of the PPP and its effectiveness. RESULTS: The response rate was 82% (22 of the 27 countries). In 21 of the 27 member states, isotretinoin is marketed and the PPP is in force, and in 18 of the 22 responding countries, the total required elements (seven) following a formal EU review are incorporated in the PPP. Seven member states had additional measures in place. In spite of implementation of the PPP and additional measures, a total of 143 isotretinoin-exposed pregnancies have been reported in 16 of the 22 responding member states since implementation of the harmonized PPP. CONCLUSIONS: Despite implementation of the isotretinoin PPP in most member states, isotretinoin-exposed pregnancies were reported. This has led some member states to implement additional measures to the PPP, resulting in inconsistency with the approach agreed in 2003 following the European-wide review. It has been further suggested that common elements should be developed for PPPs for all medicines that are known to carry a high teratogenic risk.

Modelling the costs and effects of selective and universal hospital admission screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

BACKGROUND: Screening at hospital admission for carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been proposed as a strategy to reduce nosocomial infections. The objective of this study was to determine the long-term costs and health benefits of selective and universal screening for MRSA at hospital admission, using both PCR-based and chromogenic media-based tests in various settings. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A simulation model of MRSA transmission was used to determine costs and effects over 15 years from a US healthcare perspective. We compared admission screening together with isolation of identified carriers against a baseline policy without screening or isolation. Strategies included selective screening of high risk patients or universal admission screening, with PCR-based or chromogenic media-based tests, in medium (5%) or high nosocomial prevalence (15%) settings. The costs of screening and isolation per averted MRSA infection were lowest using selective chromogenic-based screening in high and medium prevalence settings, at $4,100 and $10,300, respectively. Replacing the chromogenic-based test with a PCR-based test costs $13,000 and $36,200 per additional infection averted, and subsequent extension to universal screening with PCR would cost $131,000 and $232,700 per additional infection averted, in high and medium prevalence settings respectively. Assuming $17,645 benefit per infection averted, the most cost-saving strategies in high and medium prevalence settings were selective screening with PCR and selective screening with chromogenic, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Admission screening costs $4,100-$21,200 per infection averted, depending on strategy and setting. Including financial benefits from averted infections, screening could well be cost saving.

Costs and consequences of additional chest x-ray in a tuberculosis prevention program in Botswana.

RATIONALE: Isoniazid preventive therapy is effective in reducing the risk of tuberculosis (TB) in persons living with HIV (PLWH); however, screening must exclude TB disease before initiating therapy. Symptom screening alone may be insufficient to exclude TB disease in PLWH because some PLWH with TB disease have no symptoms. The addition of chest radiography (CXR) may improve disease detection. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present analysis was to compare the costs and effects of the addition of CXR to the symptom screening process against the costs and effects of symptom screening alone. METHODS: Using data from Botswana, a decision analytic model was used to compare a "Symptom only" policy against a "Symptom+CXR" policy. The outcomes of interest were cost, death, and isoniazid- and multidrug-resistant TB in a hypothetical cohort of 10,000 PLWH. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The Symptom+CXR policy prevented 16 isoniazid- and 0.3 multidrug-resistant TB cases; however, because of attrition from the screening process, there were 98 excess cases of TB, 15 excess deaths, and an additional cost of U.S. $127,100. The Symptom+CXR policy reduced deaths only if attrition was close to zero; however, to eliminate attrition the cost would be U.S. $2.8 million per death averted. These findings did not change in best- and worst-case scenario analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In Botswana, a policy with symptom screening only preceding isoniazid-preventive therapy initiation prevents more TB and TB-related deaths, and uses fewer resources, than a policy that uses both CXR and symptom screening.