[Study protocol on Socioeconomic and Geographic Inequalities in Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Survival in Spain: Multilevel Population-Base Study: DESOCANES study].

Incidence and mortality provide information on the burden of cancer morbidity and the potential years of life lost due to cancer. The Spanish Deprivation Index (SDI) has been developed as a standardized measure to study socioeconomic deprivation in Spain at the census tract level. In addition, SDI information can be combined with ecological variables at the population level and data from the High-Resolution European Studies in Cancer.

[Economic evaluation of the introduction of 4CMenB (Bexsero®) in the national vaccine schedule in Spain].

Introduction: Bexsero® (4CMenB), meningococcal B vaccine, was licensed in Europe in 2013. In Spain, despite MenB being the most frequent cause of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), Bexsero® is recommended and financed for patients at increased risk of IMD but is not financed by the NHS in the routine vaccination schedule.

Objective: to evaluate the cost-utility, epidemiological impact, and total costs of the introduction of 4CMenB into the vaccination schedule to help inform vaccine policy in Spain.

Trends in endpoint selection and result interpretation in advanced non-small cell lung cancer clinical trials published between 2000 and 2012: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: The objective of this review was to investigate trends in clinical trial design, specifically, the primary outcomes used, interpretation of results, and the magnitude of the benefits described in phase III controlled clinical trials in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Seventy-six trials published between 2000 and 2012 were selected from a total of 122 identified in a structured search.

Results: Overall survival (OS) was evaluated as the primary study endpoint in 50 (65.

Competition in the off-patent medicine market in Spain: The national reference pricing system versus the regional system of tendering for outpatient prescription medicines in Andalusia.

Spain has a reference price system (RPS) for off-patent medicines since 1997. In addition, from 2012, Andalusia is running a series of tenders for procuring off-patent medicines dispensed by community pharmacies, for those medicines included in the system of homogenous clusters within the national reference price system. Such tenders offer additional savings to the regional payer - in the form of rebates ("economic improvements") from companies winning the tender.

Health technology assessment process of a cardiovascular medical device in four different settings.

Aim: Health technology assessment (HTA) is a tool to help the decision-making process. The aim is to describe methods and processes used in the reimbursement decision making for drug-eluting stents (DES) in four different settings.

Methods: DES as a technology under study was selected according to different criteria, all of them agreed by a working group.

Adoption of the HPV vaccine: a case study of three emerging countries.

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has recently attracted considerable attention in emerging countries, due to its potential to reduce the impact of HPV-related diseases. This case study sheds new light about the variety of HTA arrangements, methods and processes involved in the adoption and use of HPV vaccines in a selected sample of central, eastern and southern Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean, all of them emerging in the use of HTA.

Materials & Methods: A multi-country case study was designed.

HTA and decision-making processes in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe: Results from a survey.

Objective: To gain knowledge and insights on health technology assessment (HTA) and decision-making processes in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe (CESEE) countries.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed. Based on the literature, a questionnaire was developed in a multi-stage process.

Adoption of trastuzumab for breast cancer in four emerging countries in the use of health technology assessment: a case study.

Aim: To describe processes for the adoption of trastuzumab in four countries in the use of health technology assessment (HTA): Poland, Albania, Brazil and Colombia.

Materials & Methods: Mixed methods were used for collection and triangulation of data. Data were examined following a conceptual framework connecting HTA process steps and key principles.

Mapping capacity to conduct health technology assessment in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

Aim: To provide insights into the capacity to conduct health technology assessment (HTA) in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe (CESEE), taking account of technical, financial, networking, and human resources.

Methods: An e-mail survey of 257 CESEE key informants involved in HTA was undertaken between March and April 2014. Contact e-mail addresses were identified from the internet.

[Controversial Issues in Economic Evaluation (III): health Care Interventions in Special Situations].

The development of the economic evaluation of health care interventions has become a support tool in making decisions on pricing and reimbursement of new health interventions. The increasingly extensive application of these techniques has led to the identification of particular situations in which, for various reasons, it may be reasonable to take into account special considerations when applying the general principles of economic evaluation. In this article, which closes a series of three, we will discuss, using the Metaplan technique, about the economic evaluation of health interventions in special situations such as rare diseases and end of life treatments, as well as consideration of externalities in assessments, finally pointing out some research areas to solve the main problems identified in these fields.

[Controversial Issues in Economic Evaluation (II): health Outcomes of Health Care Interventions].

In this second article of a series of three, we will discuss using the Metaplan technique on controversial issues of health outcomes in economic evaluation of health care interventions. The four-discussion areas focus on: choice of health outcomes measures, where any outcome measure is superior to another; extrapolation and transferability of health outcomes measures, which should not be assumed the results of an EEIS of one country to another without making certain adjustments; appropriate instruments to measure quality of life in Spain, where the EQ-5D was indicated as convenient due to its widespread international use; and, indirect comparisons, where the combination of both comparisons, direct and indirect, it would be advisable if the test for indirect estimates is consistent and has been validated. Finally, research lines to try to overcome the identified discrepancies were identified in each of these areas, some of those are: doing studies of correlation between scores of specific and generic instruments measuring quality of life; update or create a database of economic evaluations in Spain; estimating utilities for the Spanish population by existing generic and specific instruments; or, establish a common way to show the results of a meta-analysis network.

Systematic review of economic evaluation studies and budget impact on ambulatory monitoring of capillary glucose in type 2 diabetics.

Objective: Realise a review of studies of economic evaluation about the ambulatory monitoring of capillary glucose (AMGC) in diabetic type II persons.

Methodology: A review of the literature was conducted, in MedLine, various websites, referenced paper and provided by expert's persons.

Results: Five studies concluded that the AMGC was a cost-effective strategic, of this papers use Kaiser Permanente data base, its make that these studies could be considered a solely one study.