Information Papers

March 2010
Means restriction for suicide prevention

This report on Means Restriction for Suicide Prevention provides a summary of information regarding national means restriction policies/strategies and national/provincial intentional overdose prevention policies/strategies and their effectiveness. Policies/strategies that focus on children, youth, and young adults are of particular interest. This report consists of two parts: Part I presents an overview of national means restriction strategies/policies, whereas Part II focuses on intentional overdose prevention strategies/ policies at the national and provincial levels and examines the evidence on the effectiveness of intentional overdose prevention strategies

August 2009
HTA on the Net: A Guide to Internet Sources of Information (11th Edition)

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on the Net provides an annotated list of information sources and websites that IHE information specialists search when producing our HTA reports. There is a particular emphasis on resources that provide useful information on Albertan and Canadian health care.

February 2009
Comparative effectiveness: an overview

The use of the term "comparative effectiveness" (CE) has attracted considerable attention, particularly in the United States. This booklet examines the concept of CE and its relationship to other assessment frameworks.

December 2008
Determinants and prevention of low birth weight: a synopsis of the evidence

The Institute of Health Economics sponsored Dr. Arne Ohlsson and Dr. Prakeshkumar Shah to write this book to inform the May 2007 Consensus Development Conference on Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies: How to Prevent Low Birth Weight. The book provides a synopsis of the research evidence on the determinants and prevention of preterm/ LBW births.

November 2008
CT and MRI services in Alberta: comparisons with other health care systems

This report presents summary information on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Alberta, with comparison to the use of these diagnostic imaging technologies in other jurisdictions.

June 2008
Effective dissemination of findings from research – a compilation of essays

Effective Dissemination of Findings from Research contains essays resulting from a workshop on effective dissemination of findings from research organized by the Institute of Health Economics. The publication is intended as one of the many available resources on dissemination of research findings for those interested in the subject.

February 2008
Air ambulance transportation with advanced life support

This report synthesizes the published research evidence on the efficacy/effectiveness, safety and efficiency of air ambulance transportation (Helicopters) with onboard capabilities of advanced life support.

January 2008
Spousal Violence Against Women: Preventing Recurrence

This report assesses the research evidence on various risk assessment tools for predicting male-to-female repeat spousal violence and lethality in those males who had contact with the police system.

April 2007
The Use of Nitric Oxide in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

This report was prepared in collaboration with the Health Technology Assessment program of the Institute of Health Economics, SEARCH Canada, and Calgary Health Region. It focuses on the published scientific evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) in the management of hypoxemic respiratory failure in adult patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This report also includes local context data from the Calgary Health Region regarding outcomes from ARDS, and utilization of iNO therapy. The purpose of this report is to examine the scientific evidence on the use of iNO in this population with the goal of producing new insights regarding the optimal use of this experimental therapy.

April 2007
The Use and Benefits of Teleoncology

This report determines the current state of evidence on teleoncology applications to improve access to care closer to home for rural patients and families affected by a diagnosis of cancer.