In varietate concordia - cluster analysis of EQ-5D-5L value sets in European Union countries.

Background: The transferability of health policies in the European Union (EU) faces challenges due to economic, political, and healthcare system factors, including cross-country differences in health preferences. In order to aid policymaking, previous research has grouped EU countries based on geographical proximity or literature-based criteria, but not on health preference data. The EQ-5D-5L instrument, which measures health-related quality of life and reflects unique national health preferences shaped by cultural and social factors, is used to evaluate policies, technologies and interventions, but has not been used to group countries.

Selection of primary health care quality indicators in Europe: A Delphi study protocol.

Objective: To describe a protocol to achieve consensus on valid and important indicators to assess primary health care (PHC) quality regarding all clinical contexts of PHC in European health systems.

Study Design: Qualitative study using the Delphi technique to gain consensus among European panels of experts comprising a heterogeneous professional background.

Methods: Potential candidate indicators were extracted and translated according to a set of informative elements (i.

Severity of illness and risk of mortality from all patient refined-diagnosis related groups: Two scales of different concepts or two sides of the same coin?

All patient refined-diagnosis related groups (APR-DRGs) includes severity of illness (SOI) and risk of mortality (ROM) subclasses. For predictions, both subscales are used together or interchangeably. We aimed to compare SOI and ROM by evaluating the reliability and agreement between both.

The state of health in the European Union (EU-27) in 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2019.

Background: The European Union (EU) faces many health-related challenges. Burden of diseases information and the resulting trends over time are essential for health planning. This paper reports estimates of disease burden in the EU and individual 27 EU countries in 2019, and compares them with those in 2010.

Evaluation of sensory acceptance, purchase intention and color parameters of potentially probiotic mead with .

Mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage produced by yeast action on a diluted solution of honey. In this study, for the first time, sensory acceptance, purchase intention and color parameters of potentially probiotic mead with were evaluated. The mead with presented yeast counts higher than 10 CFU/mL, being considered potentially probiotic, and tended to be yellow in color.

Zein nanoparticles containing ceftazidime and tobramycin: antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria.

This work describes the encapsulation of ceftazidime and tobramycin in zein nanoparticles (ZNPs) and the characterization of their antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against Gram-negative bacteria. ZNPs were synthesized by nanoprecipitation. Cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay and antibacterial and antibiofilm assays were performed by broth microdilution and violet crystal techniques.

Politics and confidence toward the COVID-19 vaccination: A Brazilian cross-sectional study.

This study has the aim of assessing the Brazilian perceptions, influencing factors and political positioning on the confidence concerning COVID-19 vaccination. To achieve the objective, the methods rely on a cross-sectional survey of Brazilian citizens, distributed through different social networks. The sample is composed of 1,670 valid responses, collected from almost all Brazilian states and state capitals.

The value of healthy ageing: Estimating the economic value of health using time use data.

Introduction: Economic arguments in favour of investing in health and health care are important for policy making, yet demonstrating the potential economic gains associated with health at older ages can be empirically challenging due to older peoples' limited attachment to the labour market.

Methods: We develop a novel method to quantify the economic value of health through time use data. Using data on people aged 65 years-old and older from the United Kingdom Time Use Survey (UKTUS) 2014-15, we apply survey-weighted generalized linear models to predict the time spent in non-market productive activities conditional on characteristics including age and self-perceived health.

Perceptions of Portuguese medical coders on the transition to ICD-10-CM/PCS: A national survey.

Background: In Portugal, trained physicians undertake the clinical coding process, which serves as the basis for hospital reimbursement systems. In 2017, the classification version used for coding of diagnoses and procedures for hospital morbidity changed from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS).

Objective: To assess the perceptions of medical coders on the transition of the clinical coding process from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM/PCS in terms of its impact on data quality, as well as the major differences, advantages, and problems they faced.

Burden of disease attributable to risk factors in European countries: a scoping literature review.

Objectives: Within the framework of the burden of disease (BoD) approach, disease and injury burden estimates attributable to risk factors are a useful guide for policy formulation and priority setting in disease prevention. Considering the important differences in methods, and their impact on burden estimates, we conducted a scoping literature review to: (1) map the BoD assessments including risk factors performed across Europe; and (2) identify the methodological choices in comparative risk assessment (CRA) and risk assessment methods.

Methods: We searched multiple literature databases, including grey literature websites and targeted public health agencies websites.

Certainty of the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Modelled Prevalence Estimates for Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Meta-Epidemiological Study.

To describe and assess the risk of bias of the primary input studies that underpinned the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019 modelled prevalence estimates of low back pain (LBP), neck pain (NP), and knee osteoarthritis (OA), from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Spain, and Switzerland. To evaluate the certainty of the GBD modelled prevalence evidence. Primary studies were identified using the GBD Data Input Sources Tool and their risk of bias was assessed using a validated tool.

Perceptions of institutional performance and compliance to non-pharmaceutical interventions: How performance perceptions and policy compliance affect public health in a decentralized health system.

Trust in institutions is a key driver to shape population attitudes and behavior, such as compliance of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI). During the COVID-19 pandemic, this was fundamental and its compliance was supported by governmental and non-governmental institutions. Nevertheless, the situation of political polarization in some countries with decentralized health systems increased the difficulty of such interventions.

Long-term mental health care in Portugal: A portrait of the first years of activity.

Introduction: In Portugal, a reform to implement Long-term mental health care (LTMHC) started in 2017 allowing patients with severe mental illness receiving psychosocial rehabilitation to regain their autonomy and be reintegrated into their communities.

Aim: To describe the first steps of the Portuguese LTMHC implementation and to assess the relationship between the LTMHC's demand (referrals) and supply (vacancies and occupancy).

Methods: We conducted a national retrospective observational study to analyse the LTMHC referrals, vacancies and occupancy between mid-2017 (LTMHC establishment) and December 2022.

Growing conditions of for the development of potentially probiotic mead: Fermentation kinetics, viable cell counts and bioactive compounds.

Mead is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of a diluted honey solution by the action of yeast. Recently, research has shown the potential of for brewing beer and in the development of probiotic alcoholic beverages and, to date, no research has examined for mead production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth conditions of for the development of potentially probiotic mead.

Should we adjust health expenditure for age structure on health systems efficiency? A worldwide analysis.

Introduction: Healthcare expenditure, a common input used in health systems efficiency analyses is affected by population age structure. However, while age structure is usually considered to adjust health system outputs, health expenditure and other inputs are seldom adjusted. We propose methods for adjusting Health Expenditure per Capita (HEpC) for population age structure on health system efficiency analyses and assess the goodness-of-fit, correlation, reliability and disagreement of different approaches.

Validity of the Paediatric Canadian Triage Acuity Scale in a Tertiary Hospital: An Analysis of Severity Markers' Variability.

With the increasing influx of patients and frequent overcrowding, the adoption of a valid triage system, capable of distinguishing patients who need urgent care, from those who can wait safely is paramount. Hence, the aim of this study is to evaluate the validity of the Paediatric Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (PaedCTAS) in a Portuguese tertiary hospital. Furthermore, we aim to study the performance and appropriateness of the different surrogate severity markers to validate triage.

Trade-offs during the COVID-19 pandemic: A discrete choice experiment about policy preferences in Portugal.

The need to control the sanitary situation during the COVID-19 pandemic has led governments to implement several restrictions with substantial social and economic impacts. We explored people's trade-offs in terms of their income, life restrictions, education, and poverty in the society, compared to their willingness to avoid deaths. We applied a web-based discrete choice experiment to elicit preferences of the Portuguese citizens for these attributes and computed the marginal rate of substitution in terms of avoided deaths.

Number Needed to Quarantine and Proportion of Prevented Infectious Days by Quarantine: Evaluating the Effectiveness of COVID-19 Contact Tracing.

Objectives: Information on the effectiveness of COVID-19 contact tracing is lacking. We proposed 2 measures for evaluating the effectiveness of contact tracing and applied them in a public health unit in northern Portugal.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included the contacts of people with COVID-19 diagnosed July 1-September 15, 2020.

Methodological considerations in injury burden of disease studies across Europe: a systematic literature review.

Background: Calculating the disease burden due to injury is complex, as it requires many methodological choices. Until now, an overview of the methodological design choices that have been made in burden of disease (BoD) studies in injury populations is not available. The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify existing injury BoD studies undertaken across Europe and to comprehensively review the methodological design choices and assumption parameters that have been made to calculate years of life lost (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD) in these studies.

All Patient Refined-Diagnosis Related Groups' (APR-DRGs) Severity of Illness and Risk of Mortality as predictors of in-hospital mortality.

The aims of this study were to assess All-Patient Refined Diagnosis-Related Groups' (APR-DRG) Severity of Illness (SOI) and Risk of Mortality (ROM) as predictors of in-hospital mortality, comparing with Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) scores. We performed a retrospective observational study using mainland Portuguese public hospitalizations of adult patients from 2011 to 2016. Model discrimination (C-statistic/ area under the curve) and goodness-of-fit (R-squared) were calculated.

Factors associated with non-pharmaceutical interventions compliance during COVID-19 pandemic: a Portuguese cross-sectional survey.

Background: The use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) is one of the main tools used in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic response, including physical distancing, frequent hand washing, face mask use, respiratory hygiene and use of contact tracing apps. Literature on compliance with NPI during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited.

Methods: We studied this compliance and associated factors in Portugal, between 28th October 2020 and 11th January 2021 (Portuguese second and third waves of the pandemic), using logistic regressions.

Indicators for local health plan monitoring and evaluation: A modified Delphi consensus.

Objective: There is still a lack of health indicators for monitoring and evaluating health planning at the local level. In Portugal, local health plans (LHP) include a prioritized set of health priorities, which should be monitored and evaluated. This study is an example of a low-resource method to identify and reuse indicators for LHP monitoring and evaluation already collected for other purposes.

Running away from the jab: factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Brazil.

Objective: To investigate how sociodemographic conditions, political factors, organizational confidence, and non-pharmaceutical interventions compliance affect the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Brazil.

Methods: Data collection took place between November 25th, 2020 and January 11th, 2021 using a nationwide online survey. Subsequently, the researches performed a descriptive analysis on the main variables and used logistic regression models to investigate the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.