Quality measurement and benchmarking of HPV vaccination services: a new approach.

Background: A new measurement process based upon a well-defined mathematical model was applied to evaluate the quality of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination centers in 3 of 12 Local Health Units (ASLs) within the Lazio Region of Italy. The quality aspects considered for evaluation were communicational efficiency, organizational efficiency and comfort.

Results: The overall maximum achievable value was 86.

Hepatitis B: Epidemiology and prevention in developing countries.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious global public health problem. The infection may be transmitted through sexual intercourse, parenteral contact or from an infected mother to the baby at birth and, if contracted early in life, may lead to chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. On the basis of the HBV carrier rate, the world can be divided in 3 regions of high, medium and low endemicity.

Hepatitis A: Epidemiology and prevention in developing countries.

Hepatitis A is the most common form of acute viral hepatitis in the world. Major geographical differences in endemicity of hepatitis A are closely related to hygienic and sanitary conditions and other indicators of the level of socioeconomic development. The anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) seroprevalence rate is presently decreasing in many parts of the world, but in less developed regions and in several developing countries, HAV infection is still very common in the first years of life and seroprevalence rates approach 100%.

[Antitetanus vaccination: benefits and risks].

The significant reduction of the cases of tetanus in the years led to an increased perception of risk associated with vaccination, which, like any medical procedure, entails the possibility of adverse reactions. Although the reviews of the literature show that the tetanus vaccine is implicated as responsible for serious adverse events, the neurological complications associated with it are extremely rare, as confirmed also by the small number of cases reported in the literature. It's necessary that all events temporally associated with vaccination are properly investigated and brought to the attention of healthcare workers and citizens, in order to establish an early treatment, which in most cases leads to complete recovery.

[Epidemiology and prevention of hepatitis A and B in developing countries].

Viral hepatitis A and B are serious public health problems all over the world. Effective prophylactic measures and improvement in the hygienic and sanitary conditions have considerably modified the diseases trend, characterized by high prevalence levels in developing countries. In this paper the epidemiology of hepatitis A and B is reviewed, focused on endemic areas, on the basis of data collected from local and international studies in order to evaluate prevention strategies for both local population and travelers.

[Application of the QuavaTAR model to vaccination services in Latium, Italy].

Definition, categorization, and measuring of Quality have become increasingly important concerns in the era of managed care and cost containment. Most attempts to develop quality indicators have been based on outcome measures. The Donabedian model of Structure-Process-Outcome has been universally accepted and used as the basis for much of the work addressing quality and outcomes.

[Survey among female university students on HPV infection epidemiology and prevention].

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. The vaccine has the maximum benefit when given before starting sexual activity and its efficacy is proved also in sexually active women in which the incidence of the infection is higher. In 2010 a questionnaire on HPV was administered to 299 female students of University of Rome Tor Vergata.

[Hepatitis A in Europe today: epidemiology and prevention].

The susceptibility to Hepatitis A virus infection is growing among the European population and many hepatitis outbreaks have been described in 2004-2008. The change in epidemiological characteristics observed in the last decades has to be taken in account in issuing specific recommendations about the use of the vaccine in pre and post exposure prophylaxis.

[Combined vaccines and simultaneous administration in newborns].

Combined vaccines and simultaneous administration are widely studied due to the increasing number of antigens available for newborns immunization. By means of simultaneous administration and combination of vaccines, an effective preventive strategy can be adopted, in order to obtain parents compliance and an optimal coverage of the target population.