Economic evaluations of interventions against viral pandemics: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to suggestions that cost-effectiveness analyses should adopt a broader perspective when estimating costs. This review aims to provide an overview of economic evaluations of interventions against viral pandemics in terms of the perspective taken, types of costs included, comparators, type of economic model, data sources and methods for estimating productivity costs. STUDY DESIGN: Scoping literature review. METHODS: Publications were eligible if they conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, cost-benefit analysis or cost-minimisation analysis and evaluated interventions aimed at viral pandemics or for patients infected with viral pandemic disease. We searched PubMed, Embase and Scopus for relevant references and charted data from the selected full-text publications into a predefined spreadsheet based on research sub-questions, summary tables and figures. RESULTS: From 5410 references, 36 full-text publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The economic evaluations were mainly model based and included direct medical costs of hospital treatment. Around half of the studies included productivity costs and the proportion of total costs attributed to productivity costs ranged from 10% to 90%, depending on estimation methods, assumptions about valuation of time, type of intervention, severity of illness and degree of transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Economic evaluations of interventions against viral pandemics differed in terms of estimation methods and reporting of productivity costs, even for similar interventions. Hence, the literature on economic evaluations for pandemic response would benefit from having standards for conducting and reporting economic evaluations, especially for productivity costs.

A qualitative study of the key factors in implementing telemedical monitoring of diabetic foot ulcer patients.

INTRODUCTION: The implementation of telemedicine often introduces major organizational changes in the affected healthcare sector. The objective of this study was to examine the organizational changes through the perception of the healthcare professionals regarding the implementation of a telemedical intervention. We posed the following research question: What are the key organizational factors in the implementation of telemedicine in wound care? METHODS: In connection with a randomized controlled trial of telemedical intervention for patients with diabetic foot ulcers in the region of Southern Denmark, we conducted an organizational analysis. The trial was designed as a multidisciplinary assessment of outcomes using the Model of ASsessment of Telemedicine (MAST). We conducted eight semi-structured interviews including individual interviews with leaders, and an IT specialist as well as focus group interviews with the clinical staff. A qualitative data analysis of the interviews was performed in order to analyze the healthcare professionals and leaders perception of the organizational changes caused by the implementation of the intervention. RESULTS: The telemedical setup enhanced confidence among collaborators and improved the wound care skills of the visiting nurses from the municipality. The effect was related to the direct communication between visiting nurses and specialist doctors. Focus on the training of the visiting nurses was highlighted as a key factor in the success to securing implementation. Concerns regarding lack of multidisciplinary wound care teams, patient responsibility and lack of patient interaction with the physician were raised. Furthermore, the need for clinical guidelines in future implementation was underlined. CONCLUSIONS: Several influential factors were demonstrated in the analysis including visiting nurses wound care training, focus on management, economy, periods with absence from work and clinical care. However, the technology used here could provide an additional option to offer patients after an individual assessment of their health condition.