[Analysis of the efficiency of hospitals in Castilla y León (Spain)]. / Análisis de la eficiencia de los hospitales de Castilla y León.

OBJECTIVE: The analysis of efficiency represents an area of growing interest in the field of public management. Hospital efficiency depends mainly on the use that the institution makes of its resources and their cost. The importance of hospital efficiency studies is justified by the fact that health spending is the second most important item of public spending. The objective of the present study focused on the analysis of the degree of efficiency with which the public hospitals of Castilla y León were managed. METHODS: The scope of the research was limited to the 14 hospitals of the Public Health Service of Castilla y León (Sacyl), taking the five-year period 2014-2018 as the study period. For the analysis, the non-parametric technique of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was used. Both constant returns to scale (CRS) and variable returns to scale (VRS) have been used, calculating the global technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency for each health institution. RESULTS: The grouped results showed that the global technical efficiency (GTE) had reached an average of 92.02%, the pure technical efficiency (PTE) 94.10% and the scale efficiency (EE) 97.74%. CONCLUSIONS: The DEA is presented as a valid technique for analyzing the efficiency of hospitals, with the efficiency of all groups of hospitals (groups I, III and IV) being very similar in terms of PTE, around 97%, with the exception of group II hospitals that are the least efficient.

OBJETIVO: El análisis de la eficiencia representa un área de creciente interés en el ámbito de la gestión pública, siendo además el gasto sanitario la segunda partida más importante del gasto público. La eficiencia hospitalaria depende principalmente del uso que la institución haga de sus recursos y del coste de los mismos. El objetivo del presente trabajo se centró en el análisis del grado de eficiencia con el que se gestionaban los hospitales públicos de Castilla y León. METODOS: El ámbito de la investigación se circunscribió a los catorce hospitales del Servicio Público de Salud de Castilla y León (Sacyl) durante el quinquenio 2014-2018. Se empleó la técnica no paramétrica del Análisis Envolvente de Datos (DEA), utilizándose tanto rendimientos constantes a escala (CRS) como rendimientos variables a escala (VRS), calculando la eficiencia técnica global, la eficiencia técnica pura y la eficiencia de escala para cada institución sanitaria. RESULTADOS: Los resultados agrupados mostraron que la eficiencia técnica global (ETG) alcanzó un promedio de un 92,02%, la eficiencia técnica pura (ETP) un 94,10% y la eficiencia de escala (EE) un 97,74%. CONCLUSIONES: El DEA se presenta como una técnica válida para el análisis de la eficiencia de los hospitales siendo, en términos de ETP, muy semejante la eficiencia de todos los grupos de hospitales (grupos I, III y IV), en torno al 97%, a excepción de los hospitales del grupo II que resultan los menos eficientes.

The impact of influenza vaccination on cardiovascular disease. / Impacto de la vacunación antigripal sobre la enfermedad cardiovascular.

Influenza infection has been identified as a triggering or exacerbating factor for cardiovascular events. To analyse the effect of influenza vaccination on cardiovascular disease, a systematic search of studies published between 2009-2019 was conducted. All the studies that evaluated the effect of vaccination against influenza on cardiovascular events and their outcome were considered. Finally, 30 of the 1147 identified studies were included. These studies show a protective effect of the influenza vaccine on the development of cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accidents, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure) and on the worsening of these conditions. Furthermore, the data showed that vaccinated patients have a lower risk of death from cardiovascular pathologies. Influenza vaccination is therefore an effective measure in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases both in patients with established cardiovascular disease and in the population without previous coronary pathology.

The impact of candidate influenza virus and egg-based manufacture on vaccine effectiveness: Literature review and expert consensus.

INTRODUCTION: Influenza is associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Whilst vaccination is key for the prevention of influenza infection, there are many factors which may contribute to reduced vaccine effectiveness, including antigenic evolution via both antigenic drift and egg-adaptations. Due to the currently dissociated and indirect evidence supporting both the occurrence of these two phenomena in the egg-based manufacturing process and their effects on vaccine effectiveness, this topic remains a subject of debate. OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence and level of agreement in expert opinion supporting a mechanistic basis for reduced vaccine effectiveness due to egg-based manufacturing, using an expert consensus-based methodology and literature reviews. METHODS: Ten European influenza specialists were recruited to the expert panel. The overall research question was deconstructed into four component principles, which were examined in series using a novel, online, two-stage assessment of proportional group awareness and consensus. The first stage independently generated a list of supporting references for each component principle via literature searches and expert assessments. In the second stage, a summary of each reference was circulated amongst the experts, who rated their agreement that each reference supported the component principle on a 5-point Likert scale. Finally, the panel were asked if they agreed that, as a whole, the evidence supported a mechanistic basis for reduced vaccine effectiveness due to egg-based manufacturing. RESULTS: All component principles were reported to have a majority of strong or very strong supporting evidence (70-90%). CONCLUSIONS: On reviewing the evidence for all component principles, experts unanimously agreed that there is a mechanistic basis for reduced vaccine effectiveness resulting from candidate influenza virus variation due to egg-based manufacturing, particularly in the influenza A/H3N2 strain. Experts pointed to surveillance, candidate vaccine virus selection and manufacturing stages involving eggs as the most likely to impact vaccine effectiveness.

Quadrivalent cell culture influenza virus vaccine. Comparison to egg-derived vaccine.

Influenza virus infections pose a serious public health problem and vaccination is the most effective public health intervention against them. The current manufacture of influenza vaccines in embryonated chicken eggs entails significant limitations. These limitations have been overcome by producing vaccines in cell culture, which allow a faster and more flexible response to potential pandemic threats. Given the impact of influenza B virus on disease burden, the availability of quadrivalent vaccines is useful for increasing the rate of protection from disease. This paper analyzes the limitations of the current production of influenza vaccine in eggs and the advantages of vaccines developed in cell culture, as well as their safety, tolerability, efficacy and effectiveness. Additionally, we reflect on the contribution of new quadrivalent vaccines from cell culture as an alternative in seasonal vaccination campaigns against influenza.

[Economic evaluation of pneumococcal vaccination in adults aged over 65 years in Castilla y León (SPAIN)]. / Evaluación económica de la vacunación frente al neumococo en mayores de 65 años de Castilla y León.

INTRODUCTION: The burden of disease due to pneumonia in older adults has a major impact on health systems. The aim of this study is to carry out an economic evaluation of the vaccination strategy against Streptococcus pneumoniae using the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A simulated economic model has been developed in the form of a decision tree to evaluate the cost of the vaccination strategy in the population over 65 years of the Valladolid-East Health Area, versus non-vaccination, using a Monte Carlo probabilistic analysis. RESULTS: Streptococcus pneumoniae annually generates 557.24 cases of pneumococcal disease in the Valladolid-East Health Area, and 506.60 episodes have pneumonia symptoms. Vaccination of the cohort over 65 years of age is an efficient measure from the third year, with a cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) of 20,496.20 €. The number of QALYs gained in a decade is 86.07 and an amount of 216.252.89 € with this vaccination strategy would be saved. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of the different incremental costs (QALY,euros) in the years of follow-up, the pneumococcus vaccination program in people over 65 in Castilla y León is cost-effective.

Seasonal influenza in Spain: Clinical and economic burden and vaccination programmes. / Gripe estacional en España: carga clínica y económica y programas de vacunación.

A literature review has been carried out to analyse the clinical burden, the economic impact of influenza and the efficiency of influenza vaccination programmes in Spain. The average incidence rate of influenza in Spain is 2,069 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, with a significant impact on mortality and a reduction of health-related quality of life. In terms of its associated costs, influenza causes a significant burden on primary care, hospitals, treatments and absences from work every year, which could total one billion euros per year. Vaccination is an efficient measure for its prevention and can generate savings for the healthcare system. In conclusion, influenza is a significant health problem which generates a major economic and clinical burden annually; the profiling and measurement of which must be improved.

Cell culture-derived flu vaccine: Present and future.

The benefit of influenza vaccines is difficult to estimate due to the complexity of accurately assessing the burden of influenza. To improve the efficacy of influenza vaccines, vaccine manufacturers have developed quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) formulations for seasonal vaccination by including both influenza B lineages. Three parallel approaches for producing influenza vaccines are attracting the interest of many vaccine manufacturing companies. The first and oldest is the conventional egg-derived influenza vaccine, which is used by the current licensed influenza vaccines. The second approach is a cell culture-derived influenza vaccine, and the third and most recent is synthetic vaccines. Here, we analyze the difficulties with vaccines production in eggs and compare this to cell culture-derived influenza vaccines and discuss the future of cell culture-derived QIVs.

[Burden of hospitalization for pneumonia in a Spanish tertiary hospital. Period 2009-2014]. / Carga de hospitalización por neumonía en un hospital terciario español. Período 2009-2014.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to estimate the burden of hospitalization for community-acquired pneumonia and pneumococcal pneumonia at a tertiary level hospital in the Spanish National Health System. METHODS: A retrospective study which compiles data from the Minimum Data Set using clinical codes of the International Code of Diseases, as well as the hospitalization rate index per thousand inhabitants, the hospitalization rate per thousand population, mortality and fatality rate, using as denominator the demographic data of the population of the Health Area. RESULTS: The discharge of 5758 episodes coded with CIE codes 480 to 486 related to pneumonia, indicates an hospitalization rate of 3.54 people hospitalized per 1000 inhabitants, 65.34 % of all hospital admissions occured in Internal Medicine Services and Pneumology. The average hospital stay per year is 16.63 days. The crude death rate is 69.15 per 100 000 inhabitants and the fatality rate is 19.56 % being higher in adults over 65 years. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the current therapeutic and preventive measures, the incidence and mortality of community-acquired pneumonia in adults remains high, which justifies the strengthening and awareness to address new strategies and prevention such as vaccination.

Introducción: el objetivo de este trabajo es estimar la carga de hospitalización por neumonía adquirida en la comunidad y neumonía neumocócica en un hospital de nivel terciario del Sistema Nacional de Salud Español. Métodos: estudio retrospectivo en el que se recogen los datos del Conjunto Mínimo de Datos Básicos que usa códigos clínicos del Código Internacional de Enfermedades, asi como el índice de hospitalización por mil habitantes, la tasa de hospitalización por mil habitantes, el índice de mortalidad y la tasa de letalidad, usando como denominador los datos demográficos de la población del Área de Salud. Resultados: la descarga de 5758 episodios codificados con los códigos CIE 480 a 486 relativos a neumonía, señalan un índice de hospitalización de 3.54 personas hospitalizadas por cada 1000 habitantes, 65.34% del total de ingresos hospitalarios se produce en los Servicios de Medicina Interna y de Neumología. La estancia media hospitalaria por año es de 16.63 días. La tasa bruta de mortalidad es de 69.15 cada 100 000 y la tasa de letalidad de 19.56%, siendo más elevadas en adultos mayores de 65 años. Conclusiones: a pesar de las medidas terapéuticas y preventivas actuales, la incidencia y la mortalidad por neumonía adquirida en la comunidad en adultos se mantienen elevadas, lo que justifica fortalecer y abordar nuevas estrategias de concienciación y prevención.

Anti-infectives for systemic use prescribed in a Spanish hospital between 2009-2013.

The overuse and misuse of antimicrobials contribute to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The aim of this work was to analyse all the anti-infectives for systemic use (J ATC group) prescribed at the University Clinic Hospital of Valladolid (Spain) for the years 2009-2013. Amounts of anti-infectives (antibacterials, antifungals and antivirals) used in the period 2009-2013 were expressed as defined daily doses (DDDs) and as total expenditure, and the significance of the difference in consumption of anti-infectives and the relevant expenditure between years was evaluated from the overlapping of the corresponding confidence intervals at 95% confidence level of DDDs and expenditure. The results obtained showed that DDDs and expenditure of antibacterials decreased in the period 2009-2013. Antimycotics showed an upward trend in expenditure and DDDs in the five-year study period, but with major oscillations. The consumption of antivirals was practically constant in the period 2009-2011; in 2012, a significant reduction was observed and this reduction was conserved in 2013, although their expenditure increased year by year. In conclusion, in the period 2009-2013, expenditure on anti-infectives increased year to year. However, this increase in expenditure resulted in a downward trend of DDDs.

[Burden of influenza virus type B and mismatch with the flu vaccine in Spain]. / Impacto del virus gripal tipo B y divergencia con la cepa B incluida en la vacuna antigripal en España.

INTRODUCTION: Since the 80s two lineages of type B viruses are co - circulating in the world. Antigenic differences between them are important and it leads to lack of cross-reactivity. The impact on the burden of disease due to influenza B virus, poor foresight in estimating which of the two lineages of B viruses circulate in the season, and the consequent lack of immunity in case of including the wrong strain make that the availability of the quadrivalent vaccine is very useful. The aim of this paper is to analyze the past influenza seasons in Spain to assess the burden of disease, divergence between the vaccine strain and the circulating B and viral characteristics associated with type B in each seasonal epidemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of all reports issued by the Influenza Surveillance System in Spain since the 2003-2004 season to 2012-2013. RESULTS: Over the past influenza seasons, although type A was present mostly, circulation of influenza B virus in each season was observed, even being co - dominant in some of them. In a high number of seasons the divergence between the vaccine strain and the circulating strain lineage has been observed CONCLUSIONS: The protective effect of influenza vaccine has varied depending on the type / subtype of influenza virus studied. The vaccine effectiveness against influenza infection by influenza B virus has varied greatly depending on the season analyzed.

Socio-economic modelling of rotavirus vaccination in Castilla y Leon, Spain.

Rotavirus is one of the main causes of acute gastroenteritis in infants and young children. Furthermore, rotavirus is the leading cause of hospitalization and death from acute gastroenteritis among infants and young children worldwide. Although death due to rotavirus is rare in industrialized regions such as Spain, the rotavirus disease burden and its economic impact is severe. This study aims to assess systematic vaccination against rotavirus economically and socially in a Spanish region. Economic cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit assessment through a choice tree was designed. We estimated health provider costs, economic costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost due to rotavirus infections. The study includes a fictitious cohort of 100,000 children from Castilla y Leon who were also administered the rotavirus vaccine together with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis (DTP) . The study adopted a society and health care system perspective. A sensitivity analysis was developed to assess the uncertainty of some variables. According to the estimated incidence rate for children in Castilla y Leon, rotavirus immunization is projected to prevent 45% of cases with RotaTeq and 57% with Rotarix. The respective cost per QALY is about Euro 75,000 and 50,000 from the perspective of the health care system. Routine infant vaccination in Castilla y Leon using either rotavirus vaccine is not profitable from the payer's perspective and is not cost-effective under basic case assumptions unless the vaccine is available at a lower cost.