A systematic review of economic evaluations of cardiac rehabilitation.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR), a multidisciplinary program consisting of exercise, risk factor modification and psychosocial intervention, forms an integral part of managing patients after myocardial infarction (MI), revascularization surgery and percutaneous coronary interventions, as well as patients with heart failure (HF). This systematic review seeks to examine the cost-effectiveness of CR for patients with MI or HF and inform policy makers in Singapore on published cost-effectiveness studies on CR.

Methods: Electronic databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, NHS EED, PEDro, CINAHL) were searched from inception to May 2010 for published economic studies.

Cost-effectiveness of conjugate pneumococcal vaccination in Singapore: comparing estimates for 7-valent, 10-valent, and 13-valent vaccines.

Introduction: Although multiple studies of cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines have been conducted, no such study has examined Singapore's situation nor compared the licensed conjugate vaccines in an Asian population. This paper estimates the costs and public health impacts of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine programs, varying estimates of serotype replacement and herd immunity effects as key parameters in the analysis. Based in part on a 2008 analysis also presented here, Singapore has approved the PCV-7, PHiD-10, and PCV-13 pneumococcal conjugate vaccines as part of its National Childhood Immunisation Programme.

Health technology assessment in Singapore.

The Republic of Singapore is an island city-state in Southeast Asia. Its population enjoys good health and the Singapore Ministry of Health's mission is to promote good health and reduce illness, ensure access to good and affordable health care, and pursue medical excellence. This is achieved through a healthcare system that includes both private and public sector elements.

Multislice/spiral computed tomography for screening for coronary artery disease.

Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and spiral (or helical) computed tomography (CT) are designed to provide faster images with better resolution than conventional CT scanning. MSCT and spiral CT have been used to quantify calcification in the coronary arteries, in an effort to link this to coronary artery disease. Long-term studies on clinical outcomes of people screened with MSCT or spiral CT are lacking, as are comparisons with established screening modalities like risk factor algorithms.