Pilot drug and therapeutic committee programme in Sierra Leone: A descriptive mixed method study.

AIMS: Irrational medicine use is a global crisis, but incidences are proportionately higher in low- and middle-income countries such as Sierra Leone. This study explores the structure, functions and challenges of drug and therapeutics committees (DTCs), an intervention towards irrational medicine use recently piloted in Sierra Leone. METHODS: A 2-phase mixed-method study design was used in this study. Firstly, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on all pharmacists who have worked for at least 1 year in DTC-piloted hospitals, using an online questionnaire to assess DTCs' structure, indicators and challenges. In phase 2, all eligible pharmacists were invited for a semistructured online interview using the WhatsApp messaging application to get deeper insights into the key issues that emerged from the survey; however, only 5 of the 7 consented to participate. MS Excel 2019 and NVivo version 12 were respectively used for data management and analysis. RESULTS: A total of 6 survey responses and 5 interviews were included in the analysis. Participants are pharmacists from the 7 hospitals in Sierra Leone where DTC was piloted. Most DTCs are comprised of a minimum of 10 members consisting of both medical and hospital administrative staff. The main functions of DTCs are ensuring rational medicines use, monitoring and reporting adverse drug reactions. All 7 hospitals with established pilot DTCs have different subcommittees operating at varying functionality levels, ranging from effective to nonfunctional. The main challenges in DTC functions and maintenance are funding (n = 6), DTC decision implementation (n = 4), and unmotivated members (n = 4). Strategies suggested to improve DTCs at public hospitals and nationwide include resource allocation, monitoring and evaluating DTC functions and its members' capacity building. CONCLUSION: DTCs present a compelling opportunity towards achieving rational medicines use at the hospital level in Sierra Leone. Nonetheless, the lack of funding and operational resources are significant limitations that must be noted by policymakers before expanding DTC programmes to other hospitals in Sierra Leone.

Impact of video-led educational intervention on uptake of influenza vaccine among the elderly in western China: a community-based randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Influenza vaccination coverage rate among the elderly is low in China. We aimed to evaluate the impact of video-led educational intervention on influenza vaccine uptake among the Chinese elderly. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 8 communities of Xi'an, a representative city in western China. Elderly aged over 60 years were randomized to the control group and intervention group (12-minute video education on influenza and its vaccination). Participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of influenza was assessed by using a questionnaire survey before and after the intervention. The primary outcomes were participants' willingness to get influenza vaccinated and their actual uptake rates in the 2020-21 flu season. Secondary outcomes were the variations of pre- and post-intervention KAP scores. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed to analyze the data, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the robustness of the results. RESULTS: A total of 350 people were enrolled, with 175 individuals for each group. Participants in the intervention group were more willing to receive influenza vaccination than those in the control group (64.6% vs. 51.4%, p<0.05). The influenza vaccination uptake rate occurred in 10.3% of participants in the intervention group and 3.4% in the control group (odds ratio, 3.23; 95% CI 1.25-8.32, p<0.001). The post-intervention KAP scores in the intervention group were significantly higher compared to those in the control group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Video-led education was an effective and feasible approach to improve old people's willingness and uptake of influenza vaccination in western China.

Cost-effectiveness of anticoagulants for preventing stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in mainland China.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: With the high cost, the long-term persistence of new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) was lower than that of warfarin in Chinese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) for a long time. The prices of NOACs (apixaban, rivaroxaban and dabigatran) decreased significantly over the past year in mainland China. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of NOACs versus warfarin for preventing stroke in patients with NVAF from a Chinese healthcare system perspective. METHODS: A decision tree and Markov model were used to assess the treatment strategies of four NOACs versus warfarin over a lifetime horizon. For each treatment strategy, the total lifetime cost, quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated. The impact of parameter uncertainties on base-case analysis results was evaluated using sensitivity analyses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In the base-case analysis, compared with warfarin, apixaban had a decreased total lifetime cost of USD 389 and rivaroxaban of USD 1482, while low-dose dabigatran had an increased total lifetime cost of USD 925 and high-dose dabigatran of USD 6641, with QALY increasing by 0.53, 1.32, 0.92 and 1.83, respectively. The ICER of low-dose dabigatran versus warfarin was USD 1005 per QALY gain, while those of apixaban (-USD 734 per QALY gain) and rivaroxaban (-USD 1123 per QALY gain) were negative. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses indicated that the base-case results were robust by applying certain varying parameters to the model. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: These four NOAC (apixaban, rivaroxaban, low-dose dabigatran and high-dose dabigatran) treatment strategies were cost-effective compared with warfarin and recommended as substitutes for warfarin treatment for preventing stroke in patients with NVAF in the healthcare system of China, which might be driven by large drug price reductions in the past year.

Predictors of Glycemic Control among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Western China: A Multi-center Cross Sectional Study.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing rapidly in China. Glycemic control is vital in this patient population. We designed a cross-sectional questionnaire to investigate glycemic control and associated factors in T2DM patients in Western China. The survey included patients' medical history, blood glucose status, and therapeutic medications, as well as demographic data. The Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression were performed to analyze the data. The STROBE checklist was used to check the procedure. Among 510 T2DM patients included in this study, 47.5% of them had blood glucose control within the normal range, defined as glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≤7% or fasting plasma glucose (FPG) <7.0 mmol/L. The mean age of participants was 60.58 ± 11.20 years, with a male to female ratio of 1.02 : 1. Glycemic control was significantly associated with region (p < 0.001), comorbidities (p < 0.001), monitoring frequency (p = 0.002), treatment with insulin (p = 0.003), and medication compliance (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that unsuccessful glycemic control was significantly related to wealthier residence (p < 0.001), more comorbidities (p = 0.017), monitoring frequency (p = 0.003), and medication incompliance (p < 0.001). These results suggested that the level of glycemic control among T2DM patients in Western China was poor. It is necessary to carry out health management and nursing of diabetic patients from community, family and patients jointly.

Impact of video-led educational intervention on the uptake of influenza vaccine among adults aged 60 years and above in China: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Influenza is a global health threat to older adults, and the influenza vaccine is the most effective approach to prevent influenza infection. However, influenza vaccination coverage among Chinese older adults is far less than in developed countries such as the United States (4.0% vs. 64.9%). This study aims to increase influenza vaccination coverage in Chinese adults ≥60 years using a video-led educational intervention conducted by medical students. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted in 4 districts of Xi'an city, Shaanxi Province, China, using a stratified sampling approach. Adults aged ≥60 years will be recruited from 8 community hospitals. A self-administered questionnaire of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) will be employed to record the KAP score. During the 6-month interventional period, participants in the intervention group will receive educational videos focused on influenza and influenza vaccination, coupled with a group discussion conducted by the medical students. For those in the control group, no intervention will be provided. The outcomes measured in both groups will be the influenza vaccination coverage and the KAP scores of all participants. DISCUSSION: Medical students are more likely to educate older adults about scientific knowledge of influenza and its vaccine compared to clinical practitioners, who, most of the time, remain over-occupied due to the extensive workload. Video-led counseling and education could be a useful option to optimize older adults' understanding of influenza and influenza vaccination. This eventually could improve the uptake of influenza vaccine among Chinese older adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry; ChiCTR2000034330 ; Registered 3rd July 2019.

Prices, availability and affordability of insulin products: a cross-sectional survey in Shaanxi Province, western China.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate price, availability and affordability of insulin products in Shaanxi Province, western China. METHODS: We used a simplified and adapted WHO/Health Action International method to obtain the availability and prices of insulin products and five oral anti-diabetic medicines as comparators in public general hospitals and private retail outlets. In addition, we investigated the price components of eight selected insulin products by tracing the supply chain. RESULTS: All three kinds of insulin products, prandial, basal and premixed insulin, are 100% available in public hospitals, and have fairly high availability in the private sector (62.5-68.8%). The prices of most insulin products were higher than international reference prices in both sectors (ranging from 0.95 times to 2.33 times). All insulin products were unaffordable as they would cost 3.5-17.1 days' wage of the lowest-paid government workers in Shaanxi. The manufacturer's markup (selling price), which comprised more than 60% of the final price of all insulin products surveyed, was the largest price component. CONCLUSIONS: Although availability of insulin products was high in public general hospitals and private retail pharmacies, their high price made them unaffordable to diabetes patients, especially low-income patients. The government should increase insurance compensation for those who need these life-saving medicines or decrease the cost of insulin products through negotiation with suppliers.

Sale of antibiotics without a prescription at community pharmacies in urban China: a multicentre cross-sectional survey.

Objectives: To quantify sales of antibiotics without a medical prescription and to assess the quality of pharmacy services in relation to the antibiotics sold in community pharmacies in urban China. Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional survey of community pharmacies was undertaken in 2015 using the simulated client method. Two clinical case scenarios (paediatric diarrhoea and adult acute upper respiratory infection) were presented at systematically sampled community pharmacies in Eastern (Nanjing), Central (Changsha) and Western China (Xi'an). Results: Of 256 pharmacies, antibiotics were obtained without a prescription from 55.9% (95% CI: 49.5%-62.0%) when paediatric diarrhoea was simulated and from 77.7% (95% CI: 72.1%-82.7%) when adult respiratory infection was simulated. Of the pharmacies where antibiotics were dispensed, 83.9% and 66.3% dispensed after the simulated clients requested or insisted in the case of paediatric diarrhoea and adult respiratory infection, respectively. Significant differences ( P < 0.001, χ 2 test) in inappropriate antibiotic dispensing were found among cities, with 57.7%, 37.3% and 73.7% in the case of paediatric diarrhoea and 60.8%, 80.7% and 96.1% in adult respiratory infection in Nanjing, Changsha and Xi'an, respectively. Pharmacists were available in only 14.8% (95% CI: 10.7%-19.8%) of the pharmacies. The performance of pharmacy staff regarding the provision of information and advice was unsatisfactory. Conclusions: Antibiotics were easily obtained without a prescription in community pharmacies in urban China. Measures to enhance the enforcement of prescription-only regulations and training programmes for pharmacy staff to promote the appropriate use of antibiotics are warranted.

CYP2C19 LOF and GOF-Guided Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the cost-effectiveness of CYP2C19 loss-of-function and gain-of-function allele guided (LOF/GOF-guided) antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A life-long decision-analytic model was designed to simulate outcomes of three strategies: universal clopidogrel (75 mg daily), universal alternative P2Y12 inhibitor (prasugrel 10 mg daily or ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily), and LOF/GOF-guided therapy (LOF/GOF allele carriers receiving alternative P2Y12 inhibitor, wild-type patients receiving clopidogrel). Model outcomes included clinical event rates, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained and direct medical costs from perspective of US healthcare provider. RESULTS: Base-case analysis found nonfatal myocardial infarction (5.62%) and stent thrombosis (1.2%) to be the lowest in universal alternative P2Y12 inhibitor arm, whereas nonfatal stroke (0.72%), cardiovascular death (2.42%), and major bleeding (2.73%) were lowest in LOF/GOF-guided group. LOF/GOF-guided arm gained the highest QALYs (7.5301 QALYs) at lowest life-long cost (USD 76,450). One-way sensitivity analysis showed base-case results were subject to the hazard ratio of cardiovascular death in carriers versus non-carriers of LOF allele and hazard ratio of cardiovascular death in non-carriers of LOF allele versus general patients. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis of 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations, LOF/GOF-guided therapy, universal alternative P2Y12 inhibitor, and universal clopidogrel were the preferred strategy (willingness-to-pay threshold = 50,000 USD/QALY) in 99.07%, 0.04%, and 0.89% of time, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Using both CYP2C19 GOF and LOF alleles to select antiplatelet therapy appears to be the preferred antiplatelet strategy over universal clopidogrel and universal alternative P2Y12 inhibitor therapy for ACS patients with PCI.

CYP2C19 genotype plus platelet reactivity-guided antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndrome patients: a decision analysis.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the cost-effectiveness of CYP2C19 genotype plus platelet reactivity-guided antiplatelet therapy (PG-PRT) from the perspective of US healthcare providers. METHODS: A decision-analytic model was used to simulate life-long medical costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of three antiplatelet strategies in a hypothetical cohort of 60-year-old patients with acute coronary syndrome after a percutaneous coronary intervention: (a) universal clopidogrel (75 mg daily), (b) universal alternative antiplatelet therapy (prasugrel or ticagrelor), and (c) all PG-PRT patients were genotyped. Noncarriers of the CYP2C19 loss-of-function (LOF) allele received clopidogrel 75 mg daily. CYP2C19 LOF allele(s) carriers who were poor metabolizers received prasugrel or ticagrelor. CYP2C19 LOF allele(s) carriers who were intermediate metabolizers (IM) received high-dose clopidogrel (225 mg daily) and were tested for high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR). IM patients with HTPR were switched to prasugrel or ticagrelor. Model inputs were derived from the literature. RESULTS: In base-case analysis, PG-PRT was the least costly (USD 71,887) strategy with highest QALYs gained (7.886 QALYs). Sensitivity analyses found universal clopidogrel to be the preferred strategy if the prevalence of the CYP2C19 LOF allele was less than 2.6% or the incidence of HTPR in IM patients was greater than 82.8%. In 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations, PG-PRT was less costly than universal clopidogrel by USD 91 [95% confidence interval (CI) 83-99; P=0.0499], with higher QALYs by 0.0257 (95% CI: 0.0256-0.0258; P<0.001). Compared with universal alternative antiplatelet therapy, PG-PRT was less costly by USD 2208 (95% CI: 2195-2221; P<0.001) and gained 0.0085 QALYs (95% CI: 0.0083-0.0087; P=0.0260). CONCLUSION: PG-PRT seems to be cost-saving and effective for guiding selection of antiplatelet therapy in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning self-medication with antibiotics among university students in western China.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude and behaviours of university students on the use of antibiotics. METHODS: A knowledge-attitude-practice questionnaire was developed and distributed to undergraduate students of Xi'an Jiaotong University, comprising 18 schools/colleges in Shaanxi Province, western China. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were applied to identify risk factors associated with self-medication with antibiotics. RESULTS: Of the 731 respondents (response rate = 73.1%), 294 (40.2%) had self-medicated with antibiotics in the past 6 months. Most of the antibiotics (59.2%) for self-medication were purchased without prescription in retail pharmacies. The median score of students' knowledge about antibiotics was 4 (IQR: 3-6) of a maximum possible score of 10. Students had moderately accurate beliefs towards antibiotics. More than half of the students (56.5%) were storing antibiotics frequently. During self-medication, 16.7% of students claimed to have experienced adverse reactions, and 30.6% had used antibiotics to prevent common colds. The majority preferred to use broad-spectrum antibiotics, and nearly half preferred intravenous antibiotics. Over 44% of students had changed antibiotic dosage, and 36.5% had switched to another antibiotic during the treatment course. Logistic regression analysis identified college and home town as independent risk factors for self-medication with antibiotics (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Undergraduate students had inadequate knowledge, moderately accurate beliefs and inappropriate practices concerning antibiotics, and a high rate of self-medication. This highlights the need for focused educational intervention and stricter governmental regulation concerning antibiotic use and sale in retail pharmacies.

Barriers and Implications of 5G Technology Adoption for Hospitals in Western China: Integrated Interpretive Structural Modeling and Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Analysis.

BACKGROUND: 5G technology is gaining traction in Chinese hospitals for its potential to enhance patient care and internal management. However, various barriers hinder its implementation in clinical settings, and studies on their relevance and importance are scarce. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify critical barriers hampering the effective implementation of 5G in hospitals in Western China, to identify interaction relationships and priorities of the above-identified barriers, and to assess the intensity of the relationships and cause-and-effect relations between the adoption barriers. METHODS: This paper uses the Delphi expert consultation method to determine key barriers to 5G adoption in Western China hospitals, the interpretive structural modeling to uncover interaction relationships and priorities, and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method to reveal cause-and-effect relationships and their intensity levels. RESULTS: In total, 14 barriers were determined by literature review and the Delphi method. Among these, "lack of policies on ethics, rights, and responsibilities in core health care scenarios" emerged as the fundamental influencing factor in the entire system, as it was the only factor at the bottom level of the interpretive structural model. Overall, 8 barriers were classified as the "cause group," and 6 as the "effect group" by the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method. "High expense" and "organizational barriers within hospitals" were determined as the most significant driving barrier (the highest R-C value of 1.361) and the most critical barrier (the highest R+C value of 4.317), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Promoting the integration of 5G in hospitals in Western China faces multiple complex and interrelated barriers. The study provides valuable quantitative evidence and a comprehensive approach for regulatory authorities, hospitals, and telecom operators, helping them develop strategic pathways for promoting widespread 5G adoption in health care. It is suggested that the stakeholders cooperate to explore and solve the problems in the 5G medical care era, aiming to achieve the coverage of 5G medical care across the country. To our best knowledge, this study is the first academic exploration systematically analyzing factors resisting 5G integration in Chinese hospitals, and it may give subsequent researchers a solid foundation for further studying the application and development of 5G in health care.

Immunization-related stress and stress-related responses of mucosal versus intramuscular COVID-19 vaccination among adults in China.

BACKGROUND: In late 2022, China became the first country to roll out mucosal COVID-19 vaccines. No prior study has yet compared the immunization stress-related responses (ISRR) among different routes of COVID-19 vaccine delivery. We aimed to compare the immunization-related psychological stress and ISRR between mucosal and intramuscular COVID-19 vaccines. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey using a biopsychosocial framework design was performed from January 11 to 20, 2023. Adults with COVID-19 vaccination were eligible for the study, and a total of 1073 adults participated with community-based sample. Primary outcomes were the psychological stress levels and prevalence of ISRR. Multivariate regression models were employed to compare these outcomes between the two vaccination groups. The potential mediating effects of stress on vaccination and ISRR were examined using bootstrap sampling method. To further ensure the robustness of our results, sensitivity analysis with propensity score matching was performed. FINDINGS: In the univariate analysis, participants who received mucosal vaccination reported significantly lower stress levels compared to those who received intramuscular vaccination (3.39 ± 3.02 vs. 3.93 ± 3.24, P = .006). The prevalence of overall ISRR was significantly lower in the mucosal group compared to the intramuscular group (38.4% vs. 47.9%, P = .002). Multivariate regression models revealed that participants who received mucosal vaccination had a significantly lower stress level (ß = -0.516, 95% CI: -0.852 to -0.180; P = .003) and 38.7% fewer overall ISRR (OR = 0.613, 95% CI: 0.427 to 0.881; P = .008), particularly in terms of neurological symptoms. The immunization-related stress mediated the association between vaccination type and ISRR, with indirect effects estimated at 0.0663 (95% CI: 0.0195 to 0.1346) for overall ISRR. CONCLUSIONS: Mucosal COVID-19 vaccination was associated with reduced psychological stress and physical responses, as compared to intramuscular vaccination, which may contribute to increased trust and compliance with routine or mass vaccination efforts in the future.

Access to anticancer medicines in public hospitals of Northwestern China.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the accessibility of anticancer medicines in public hospitals of Shaanxi, a representative province of Northwestern China. Methods: Thirty-one anticancer medicines were investigated in 146 designated public hospitals in 10 cities of Shaanxi Province. We used medicine procurement data from the Shaanxi Drug Centralized Purchasing Platform during 2019-2021. Primary outcomes included the availability, drug utilization, and affordability of anticancer medicines. Results: The mean availability of 31 anticancer medicines increased significantly from 5.45% in 2019 to 14.72% in 2021. The mean availability of nationally negotiated medicines was significantly lower than that of Class B medicines (8.72% vs. 12.85%, p = 0.048), whilst the availability of injectable medicines was significantly greater than that of oral medicines (13.66% vs. 8.77%, p = 0.007). In 2019-2021, the annual mean amount purchased increased significantly from CNY 6.51 million to CNY 18.56 million (p = 0.007). The mean defined daily doses of 31 medicines significantly rose from 225.50 to 1019.50 (p = 0.008) whereas their defined daily drug cost significantly decreased from CNY 551.15 to CNY 404.50 (p < 0.001). The percentage of catastrophic health expenditure decreased from 71.0 to 51.65% and from 90.30 to 80.60% for urban and rural residents, respectively. The affordability of nationally negotiated medicines was significantly lower than that of Class B medicines (p = 0.032), and the affordability of injectable medicines had no significant difference compared to that of oral medicines (p = 0.124) for both urban and rural residents. Conclusion: The accessibility of anticancer medicines improved dramatically in public hospitals of Northwestern China during the period 2019-2021.

Cost-Effectiveness of Recombinant Zoster Vaccine for Adults Aged ≥50 Years in China.

INTRODUCTION: Adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) was the first vaccine made available for herpes zoster in China. Authors aimed to evaluate its economic and health impacts on Chinese adults aged ≥50 years. METHODS: A lifetime Markov model was developed to compare the cost-effectiveness of RZV with that of no vaccination from a societal perspective. Model inputs were derived from published literature and analyzed in 2022. Outcomes included total costs, quality-adjusted life-years, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, and number of herpes zoster and herpes zoster-related cases. Sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the robustness of the model results. RESULTS: RZV was more costly than no vaccination by $2.78 billion with an additional 65,008 quality-adjusted life-years gained and could avoid 1,893,530 herpes zoster cases, 295,761 postherpetic neuralgia cases, 51,734 other complications, and 229 herpes zoster-related deaths. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of RZV varied in a range of $34,465.5-$51,002.7 per quality-adjusted life-year. RZV for the entire cohort would be cost-effective when discount rate was <2.4%, a waning rate of 2-dose RZV efficacy decreased to <0.8%, the utility of postherpetic neuralgia was <0.496, duration of postherpetic neuralgia was >12.86 months, or the cost of RZV per dose decreased to <$229.6. In a probabilistic sensitivity analysis, the probability of RZV being cost-effective was 43.95%, 59.32%, 45.27%, and 39.50% for people aged 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and ≥80 years, respectively, with threefold gross domestic product per capita (37,654.5 per quality-adjusted life-year) as the willingness-to-pay threshold. CONCLUSIONS: RZV was most likely to be cost-effective in people aged 60-69 years. A slight decrease in vaccine cost would result in RZV being cost-effective in all people aged ≥50 years.

Development of a vaccine hesitancy scale for childhood immunization in China.

OBJECTIVE: Vaccine hesitancy is a primary factor that influences vaccine uptake; however, no specific measurement tool to accurately assess vaccine hesitancy is available in China. This study aimed to develop a general vaccine hesitancy scale for childhood immunization. METHODS: We adopted a three-phase process with nine steps to develop and finalize our scale. The scale framework and initial item pool were determined by a literature review. Expert consultation and cognitive interviews with parents were conducted to evaluate content validity. Questionnaire surveys involving parents of children aged <6 years were conducted to select items. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were employed to identify and validate the scale factor structure. The scale's reliability and validity were assessed using multiple indicators. RESULTS: Of the initial 38 items, 21 were retained after expert consultation and cognitive interviews. In survey 1, the number of scale items decreased to 16 following item analysis and EFA. In survey 2, four items were added and EFA identified four factors. In survey 3, CFA confirmed the four-factor structure and the reliability indicators were satisfactory for the total scale. The level of vaccine hesitancy assessed by our scale was positively associated with vaccination refusal behavior and the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale score. The final scale comprised four dimensions (confidence, complacency, convenience, and calculation) with 17 items. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a validated and reliable measurement to assess vaccine hesitancy among parents of children, which promises to be suitable for wide use in China.

Cost-Effectiveness and Health Impacts of Different Influenza Vaccination Strategies for Children in China.

INTRODUCTION: Authors aimed to evaluate the economic and health impacts of three influenza vaccines available in China, including trivalent inactivated vaccine, quadrivalent inactivated vaccine, and live attenuated influenza vaccine, for children aged six months to 18 years. METHODS: Two decision-analytic models were developed to simulate four vaccination strategies. Outcomes included total costs from a societal perspective in 2021, quality-adjusted life-year loss, numbers of outpatient and inpatient cases, and deaths avoided using each strategy. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the uncertainty of model inputs. RESULTS: For children aged six months to three years, trivalent inactivated vaccine saved $48 million and avoided a loss of 17,637 quality-adjusted life-years compared with no vaccination. For children aged 3-18 years, quadrivalent inactivated vaccine was cost-effective compared with trivalent inactivated vaccine, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $32,948.5/quality-adjusted life-year (willingness-to-pay threshold=$37,653/quality-adjusted life-year), which was sensitive to the RR of vaccine effectiveness of quadrivalent inactivated vaccine versus of trivalent inactivated vaccine. When compared with quadrivalent inactivated vaccine, live attenuated influenza vaccine was $1.28 billion more costly but gained an additional 13,560 quality-adjusted life-years; its incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $123,983.8/quality-adjusted life-year. Live attenuated influenza vaccine would be cost-effective if its vaccine effectiveness was >0.79. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis revealed that quadrivalent inactivated vaccine, trivalent inactivated vaccine, live attenuated influenza vaccine, and no vaccination were cost-effective in 55.94%, 33.09%, 10.97%, and 0% of 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations. CONCLUSIONS: Trivalent inactivated vaccine was cost-effective compared with no vaccination in children aged six months to 18 years. Of the three vaccination strategies for children aged 3-18 months, quadrivalent inactivated vaccine appears to be the most cost-effective.

Parental Preferences of Influenza Vaccination for Children in China: A National Survey with a Discrete Choice Experiment.

The influenza vaccination coverage among children is low in China. We aimed to conduct a nationwide survey to quantify parental preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for influenza vaccination for their children. Parents with children aged six months to 18 years from six provinces in China were investigated by a discrete choice experiment regarding six influenza vaccination attributes. Mixed logit models were used to estimate the relative importance of vaccine attributes and parents' WTP. Interaction analysis and subgroup analysis were conducted to explore preference heterogeneity. A total of 1206 parents were included in the analysis. Parents reported vaccine effectiveness as the most important vaccine attribute. The mode of vaccine administration had no significant impact on parents' preferences. Parents aged over 30 years with higher education or income levels were more likely to prefer no influenza vaccination for their children. The largest marginal WTP (CNY 802.57) for vaccination and the largest increase in vaccine uptake (41.85%) occurred with improved vaccine effectiveness from 30% to 80%. Parents from central regions or mid-latitude areas had a relatively lower WTP than those from other regions. No significant difference in the relative importance of vaccine attributes were observed among parents from various regions of China.

Current situation and future development of the biopharmaceutical industry in China: A mixed-method study.

Introduction: The biomedical industry has grown significantly both globally and in China; however, there are still challenges. This study aimed at evaluating the biopharmaceutical sector of China, in terms of ability to innovate, current sales volume, investment, and R&D expenditure, as well as providing a case study detailing the progress and challenges of the industry in Shaanxi province. Method: A cross-sectional mixed-method study design was used to generate a comprehensive profile of the nature of biopharmaceutical innovation capacity and development in China by triangulating country-wide survey and interview data from Shaanxi province. Only biopharmaceutical companies that are currently marketing or conducting research and development were eligible for inclusion, and Shaanxi province was selected for conducting the interviews. Categorical and continuous variables were analyzed descriptively. Interviews were thematically analyzed by using NVivo version 12. Results: The analysis includes responses from 77 biopharmaceutical enterprises; the majority (36, 46.8%) are in Eastern China, followed by 26 (33.8%) in Central China. In 2018, the total sales of biological products amounted to 26.28 billion yuan, and in 2019, a slight increase was observed (30.34 billion); the amount doubled in 2020 to about 67.91 billion yuan. The top three biopharmaceutical products on sale in 2020 were Camrelizumab (5.14 billion yuan), human albumin (4.56 billion yuan), and human immunoglobulin for injection (3.78 billion yuan). Expenditure on R&D has also increased; it amounted to 1657.7 million yuan in 2018, which more than doubled in 2019 to 3572.1 million yuan and further increased to 5857.7 million yuan in 2020. Nonetheless, the progress is not uniform across all provinces, as shown from the results from Shaanxi province, because of lack of local government policies that will impact on the funding, incentives, and market share that motivate the producers. Conclusion: China's biopharmaceutical industry has expand significantly. The increase in sales indicates that there is an increase in demand for biologicals; moreover, R&D funding is increasing. These are key indicators that influence innovation and development. However, the sector's capacity to innovate and develop needs to be improved, particularly in the western region, where research and production are relatively weak.

A guideline for economic evaluations of vaccines and immunization programs in China.

This study aimed to develop a consensus framework for economic evaluations of vaccines as a national guideline in China. Some unique and important aspects were particularly emphasized. Nineteen Chinese experts in the field of health economics and immunization decision-making were nominated to select and discuss relevant aspects of vaccine economic evaluations in China. A workshop attended by external experts was held to summarize unique and important aspects and formulate consensus recommendations. There were ten unique and/or important aspects identified for economic evaluations of vaccines in China, including study perspectives, comparator strategies, analysis types, model choices, costing approaches, utility measures, discounting, uncertainty, equity, and evaluation purposes. Background information and expert recommendations were provided for each aspect. Economic evaluations of vaccines should play an important role in China's immunization policy-making. This guideline can help improve the quality of economic evaluations as a good practice consensus.

Patients satisfaction with free healthcare pharmaceutical services in Sierra Leone: a national cross-sectional study.

Background Patient satisfaction is a critical construct of quality of pharmaceutical care in that it reflects whether a given service is meeting patients' expectations and consistent with their values. The government of Sierra Leone in 2010 introduced a free healthcare policy, which includes free pharmaceutical services for under-five children, lactating mothers, and pregnant women at all governments hospitals nationawide. Objectives The main objective of this study is to evaluate patient's satisfaction with the pharmaceutical services received from public hospitals implementing the free healthcare policy. Setting Four randomly selected public hospitals in Sierra Leone, one from each of the four regions, providing free healthcare services. Methods A cross-sectional design, using an interview-administered questionnaire, was employed in this study. Data were analyzed in SPSS, continuous and categorical data were computed descriptively. Responses to the open question were quantified and analyzed thematically. Adjusted and crude logistical models were used to assess factors associated with satisfaction, and significance was taken at p < 0.05. Main outcome measure Patients satisfaction with pharmaceutical services provided in public hospitals in Sierra Leone. Results Overall, 797 questionnaires were analyzed. The majority of patients seeking free pharmaceutical services were satisfied (n = 470, 56%) or very satisfied (n = 229, 28.7%) with the services they received. Pharmacy staff which includes pharmacists and pharmacy techincians demonstrated good communication skills while delivering services, but lacked technical details like; how to handle (n = 187, 23.5%) and store (n = 135, 16.9%) drugs and their potential side effects (n = 253, 31.8%). Low satisfaction was observed with the lack of private area for patients counseling (n = 474, 60.1%), and a convenient waiting area (n = 229, 28.7%). Respondents also thought the pharmacy was too small (n = 191, 24.6%) and with less than optimal lighting system (n = 120, 15.0%). Dissatisfaction was associated with college/university students or graduates [AOR: 0.211 (0.083-0.537), p = 0.001] and those with household incomes less than SLL 1,000,000 [AOR: 0.391 (0.155-0.987) p = 0.047]. Conclusions Patients were generally satisfied with pharmaceutical services received; however, infrastructural upgrades of the pharmacy like a comfortable waiting area and private counselling area within the pharmacy scores low in their satisfaction level. Improvement on the pharmacy structure, and motivated pharmacy staff with the right technical training will enhance the effective delivery of quality pharmaceutical care within the free healthcare.