2012

WHO Health Evidence Network Synthesis Report

For which strategies of suicide prevention is there evidence of effectiveness?

This report aims to synthesize research findings from existing systematic reviews to address two questions:
• What types of preventive interventions have been evaluated in the published literature?
• Which strategies have good-quality evidence to support them?

Limited evidence - as well as variability by population characteristics, social, cultural and socioeconomic situation - suggests that a combination of preventive approaches, addressing different risk factors at different levels, is required. In addition, an evaluation framework should accompany the implementation of any new intervention.

The Safety and Effectiveness of Preschool Vision Screening

This review focused on the best evidence available on the use of PSVS to detect vision conditions in asymptomatic preschool children (aged from birth to 6 years; not necessarily considered at risk for developing visual impairment) to determine the safety and efficacy/effectiveness of PSVS, compare the safety and effectiveness of universal and targeted PSVS, and to determine the best practice for conducting PSVS, as well as to assess the cost-effectiveness of various strategies used in the screening of preschool vision.

Utilizing Diverse HTA Products in the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process: Work in Progress

This project is concerned with describing a comprehensive set of HTA products, not the methods used to produce them. The report describes various products produced by HTA agencies and provides a summary of the basic elements of these products, but an in-depth analysis of, or comparison between, the various products in terms of their methodology is beyond its scope.

The Effectiveness and Safety of Preschool Hearing Screening Programs

This report performs an evaluation of the scientific evidence on the safety, performance, and effectiveness of universal and targeted preschool hearing screening (PHS) to inform the Infant and Preschool Screening Framework being developed by the Community and Public Health (CPH) Division of AHW, as well as comparing the cost-effectiveness of various strategies used in preschool hearing screening, through a review of the published economic literature.

The Safety and Efficacy/Effectiveness of Using Automated Testing Devices for Universal Newborn Hearing Screening: An Update

This report is an update of a 2007 report. Permanent congenital hearing impairment/loss (PCHI/PCHL) is one of the most common congenital anomalies found at birth which can lead to delays and deficits in the development of speech, language, cognition and learning, as well as secondary effects on the child and the family. Early identification and subsequent appropriate intervention (within the first 6 months) in infants with PCHL can minimize these effects. The report also compares the cost effectiveness of various strategies used in the universal screening of newborn hearing (UNHS).

First and Second Trimester Prenatal Screening for Trisomies 13, 18, and 21 and Open Neural Tube Defects

This report provides an epidemiological profile of fetal aneuploidy and open neural tube defects (ONTD); describes the patterns of care, utilization trends, and factors affecting the provision of first and second trimester screening (FASTs) services for fetal aneuploidy and ONTD; performs an evaluation of the scientific evidence on the performance of available first and second trimester screening tests (FASTs) for Trisomy 21, 18,13, and open neural tube defects (specifically spina bifida, anencephyaly, encephalocele, collectively refererred to as ONTDs); and provides an estimation of the costs and cost effectiveness of various screening strategies.

Exploratory Brief on Nanomedicine or the Application of Nanotechnology in Human Health Care

This exploratory report provides a summary of some of the published information on the current status of research in and potential future sphere of activity of nanomedicine (Part I) and an inventory of resources on nanotechnology and nanomedicine (Part II). Over the next 5 to 10 years it is expected that the overall impact of nanomedicine will be multifaceted, with significant advances in patient screening, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and monitoring. Opportunities include more sensitive and reliable diagnostics and biosensors, improved imaging techniques, and innovative therapeutics to enhance the safety and effectiveness in predicting and managing diseases.

Development of a quality appraisal tool for case series studies using a modified Delphi technique

This Methodology Paper summarizes the process, a modified Delphi approach, used to develop a specific checklist for the quality appraisal of case series studies. This work was supplemented with a review of other published checklists and an initial pilot test of the newly developed quality appraisal checklist. Researchers at the Institute of Health Economics with researchers from two other Health Technology Assessment agencies in Australia and Spain were actively engaged throughout the Delphi process.

Bariatric treatments for adult obesity

This report summarizes available key information on the use of bariatric treatments for adult obesity in Alberta and North America (mainly Canada). This analysis was intended to describe the profile of adult obesity (definition, progression, epidemiology, and population dynamics of affected individuals in Alberta and in Canada) and patterns of care for this condition (focusing on bariatric treatments recommended by evidence-based clinical practice guidelines), as well as to identify potential inequities in health status or care across population groups. Also considered were social factors associated with the use of multidisciplinary programs involving bariatric treatments for adult obesity in Alberta.

Insulin pump therapy for type 1 diabetes

This report examines the research evidence on the safety and efficacy of insulin pump therapy, as compared to multiple daily insulin injections, in the treatment of children, adults, and pregnant women diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The report also analyses the economic impact of introducing the insulin pump therapy in Alberta.