Appraising the holistic value of Lenvatinib for radio-iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer: A multi-country study applying pragmatic MCDA.

Background: The objective of the study was to reveal through pragmatic MCDA (EVIDEM) the contribution of a broad range of criteria to the value of the orphan drug lenvatinib for radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC) in country-specific contexts.

Methods: The study was designed to enable comprehensive appraisal (12 quantitative, 7 qualitative criteria) in the current disease context (watchful waiting, sorafenib) of France, Italy and Spain. Data on the value of lenvatinib was collected from diverse stakeholders during country-specific panels and included: criteria weights (individual and social values); performance scores (judgments on evidence-collected through MCDA systematic review); qualitative impacts of contextual criteria; and verbal and written insights structured by criteria.

Economic impact of homeopathic practice in general medicine in France.

Health authorities are constantly searching for new ways to stabilise health expenditures. To explore this issue, we compared the costs generated by different types of medical practice in French general medicine: i.e.

European pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement conference.

The 14th Annual European Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement Conference was sponsored by SMi Group Limited, London, UK. The participants included industry, government and private professionals involved in pricing and reimbursement. The purpose, each year, is to share advances in the discipline with respect to policies and theory.

Cost-benefit analysis of preventing sudden cardiac deaths with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator versus amiodarone.

Objectives: To conduct a cost-benefit assessment of prevention of sudden cardiac deaths with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) versus amiodarone from the perspective of the health-care systems in the UK and France.

Methods: Course after implantation with an ICD or taking amiodarone was modeled using discrete event simulation; 1000 pairs of identical patients were simulated 100 times for each analysis. Rates of life-threatening arrhythmia and death from other causes were assumed identical, but the case fatality of arrhythmia and hospitalization differ between treatments.

Conjoint analysis of French and German parents' willingness to pay for meningococcal vaccine.

Objective: To estimate the willingness of parents in France and Germany to pay for meningococcal conjugate vaccines for their teenage children.

Methods: A conjoint analysis survey was administered to parents who had received counselling on the nature and risks of meningococcal disease in young people. In each country, half were randomly assigned to view a video with graphical depictions of the effects of meningococcaemia.

Maritime health: a case for preventing influenza on the high seas.

For decades cruise ships have been recognized as foci for diarrheal illness. More recently influenza has been added to the list of diseases for which people on cruise ships are at risk. Influenza is a business risk involving cruise ship operating and litigation costs and travelers' loss in value.

The global value of vaccination.

While most agree that vaccination is one of the most important public health practices, vaccines continue to be underused and undervalued, and vaccine-preventable diseases remain a threat to world health. Perhaps one reason this gap remains is that decision-making generally is made on a vaccine-by-vaccine basis. There has been less attention to the value of vaccination in general.