A Wearable Low-Power Sensing Platform for Environmental and Health Monitoring: The Convergence Project.

The low-power sensing platform proposed by the Convergence project is foreseen as a wireless, low-power and multifunctional wearable system empowered by energy-efficient technologies. This will allow meeting the strict demands of life-style and healthcare applications in terms of autonomy for quasi-continuous collection of data for early-detection strategies. The system is compatible with different kinds of sensors, able to monitor not only health indicators of individual person (physical activity, core body temperature and biomarkers) but also the environment with chemical composition of the ambient air (NOx, COx, NHx particles) returning meaningful information on his/her exposure to dangerous (safety) or pollutant agents. In this article, we introduce the specifications and the design of the low-power sensing platform and the different sensors developed in the project, with a particular focus on pollutant sensing capabilities and specifically on NO2 sensor based on graphene and CO sensor based on polyaniline ink.

Perspective on the Budgetary Impact of FP/FORM pMDI on Treatment and Management of Exacerbation in Moderate-to-Severe Asthma Patients in Singapore.

PURPOSE: Reducing the risk of exacerbation is a long-term goal of managing moderate-to-severe asthma. The use of fluticasone propionate/formoterol fumarate dihydrate (FP/FORM) pressurized metered-dose (pMDI, Flutiform®), a type of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting ß2 agonist (LABA) fixed-dose combination, has been associated with lower oral corticosteroid-requiring exacerbation rates than other ICS/LABA fixed-dose combinations, fluticasone propionate/salmeterol xinafoate (FP/SAL) and budesonide/formoterol fumarate (BUD/FORM). This study presents the first budget impact analysis of drug and exacerbation management cost savings associated with the increased access to FP/FORM compared to the currently available ICS/LABAs for treating moderate-to-severe asthma in Singapore. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A budget impact model showed changes to annual drug and exacerbation costs over 5 years for patients with moderate-to-severe asthma in Singapore, following the inclusion of FP/FORM on a government subsidy list. The eligible patient population was identified based on national statistics data. Different treatment costs pertaining to the population were applied according to the usage data (IQVIA Singapore National Sales Data) for different scenarios. Drug costs were obtained from public-sector hospitals. Exacerbation management costs were obtained from literature searches. RESULTS: The analysis showed that increased access to FP/FORM as a result of switching from FP/SAL could help achieve drug (S$1,042,289) and exacerbation management (S$223,550) cost savings over 5 years. In the scenario where patients switched from BUD/FORM, greater drug (S$2,572,797) and exacerbation management (S$256,781) cost savings were observed over 5 years. CONCLUSION: The analysis provides a perspective that the increased access to FP/FORM could help achieve drug and exacerbation cost savings for the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma.

Management Of Glaucoma In Developing Countries: Challenges And Opportunities For Improvement.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the developed and developing world. Not only is the clinical impact of this disease considerable, but associated economic and humanistic burdens - affecting patients, caregivers, and society - are substantial. Since glaucoma is an age-related disorder and populations in many developing countries are aging at a faster pace than in the developed world, increasing attention is being focused on ways to ameliorate the burdens of illness. In this paper, we examine the burdens of glaucoma with particular focus on developing countries, discuss some of the challenges that exist in delivering optimal glaucoma management within budget constraints, and bring into perspective how we could improve current healthcare systems, leverage technology, and strike an appropriate balance between cost and quality of care, thereby offering considerations to payors and policymakers in these countries that may result in longer-term cost savings, while concurrently striving to achieve the WHO Vision on the prevention of blindness and visual impairment.

Burden of cancer pain in developing countries: a narrative literature review.

Cancer pain is one of the most common, feared, debilitating, and often undertreated symptoms among cancer patients. It needs attention since it has a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL) of the patients. Also, since cancer has emerged as a major health problem in developing countries, there is a need to strengthen preventive strategies for effective cancer pain management and provide comfort to cancer patients. Nonetheless, various barriers limit developing countries toward optimal cancer pain management. To bridge the gap between adequate pain management and burden of cancer pain in developing countries, a comprehensive understanding of the limitations faced and the prevalence of cancer pain should be addressed. The aim of this literature review is to provide a deeper understanding on the factors associated with cancer pain as well as barriers toward optimal cancer pain management in developing countries. Some of the barriers addressed were administrative, judicial, economic, and professional barriers. Also, estimates on the prevalence of cancer pain and detrimental effects of pain on the QoL of cancer patients have been addressed. In summary, pain, which is one of the most debilitating symptoms of cancer, remains uncontrolled and undertreated in developing countries. It has a profound impact on the patient's QoL and can have physical, psychological, and social consequences; therefore, it needs to be managed urgently and appropriately. Most importantly, optimal treatment of cancer pain should be highlighted as a priority in developing countries and concerted efforts should be made to eliminate different barriers discussed in this review for effective and humane care.