Real-world data: a comprehensive literature review on the barriers, challenges, and opportunities associated with their inclusion in the health technology assessment process.

This review aimed to assess the current use and acceptance of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) in health technology assessment (HTA) process. It additionally aimed to discern stakeholders' viewpoints concerning RWD and RWE in HTA and illuminate the obstacles, difficulties, prospects, and consequences associated with the incorporation of RWD and RWE into the realm of HTA. A comprehensive PRISMA-based systematic review was performed in July 2022 in PubMed/Medline, Scopus, IDEAS-RePEc, International HTA database, and Centre for Reviews and Dissemination with supplementary search in Google Scholar and international organization websites.

Knowledge and beliefs of Greek parents towards HPV infection and vaccination - are they willing to vaccinate their sons?

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) stands as one of the prevalent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and serves as the primary factor behind nearly all instances of cervical cancer, along with various other non-cancerous conditions like genital warts. Our objective was to explore the knowledge and beliefs of Greek parents regarding HPV infection and the vaccination of boys against HPV.

Methods: A cross-sectional study took place at a university hospital located in the Peloponnese region of Greece, from January to June 2021.

Factors Affecting the Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Health Technology Industry in Greece.

Background: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an evolving business strategy worldwide, focusing on the sustainability of the enterprise and the provision of multiple benefits to the societies and economies.

Objective: The aim of this paper was to explore the encouraging and deterrent factors for the implementation of CSR actions in companies specializing in pharmaceutical and biomedical products as well as in medical equipment in Greece.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted (April to June 2021) in member-companies of the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies, the Panhellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Industry and the Association of Health-Research and Biotechnology Industry.

Assessing the Efficiency and Productivity of the Hospital Clinics on the Island of Rhodes during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

(1) Background: The aim was to measure the efficiency and productivity of 15 specialty clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic period 2020-2021 in the General Hospital of Rhodes. (2) Methods: An input-oriented data envelopment analysis and the Malmquist productivity index are used. Labor and capital were used as inputs, and in-patient discharges and days were used as outputs.

Professional Quality of Life and Occupational Stress in Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greece.

Background: Health professionals (HPs) coping with the coronavirus pandemic are at risk of working under stressful conditions impacting their professional well-being. The aim of this paper was to explore HP's professional quality of life and occupational stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted (from October to December 2020) in a COVID-19 reference hospital, one of the biggest in Attica.

Detection and Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions Related to Antibiotics in Primary Healthcare in Greece.

Background: Detection of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is a challenging matter for healthcare professionals who contribute significantly to the pharmacovigilance system through their participation inspontaneous reporting.

Objective: The objective of this study was the detection and reporting of ADRs related to antibiotics in primary health care in the region of Peloponnese.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in all national health system primary health units of the Peloponnese region in Greece.

Verbal Abuse in the Operating Room: A Survey of Three General Hospitals in the Peloponnese Region.

Background The operating room is a special place in a hospital structure, which has a very high psychological load and many moments of tension, often leading to difficulties in communication between the health professionals involved, as well as cases of verbal and physical violence. Purpose The purpose of the study was to investigate the existence of verbal violence in the operating rooms of three general hospitals in the Peloponnese region of Greece. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted of health professionals (physicians and nurses) employed in the operating rooms of three general hospitals in the Peloponnese region.

Assessment of the Mobile Mental Health Units' effectiveness in Cyclades islands.

In Greece, the provision of mental health shows inefficiencies in remote and inaccessible areas due to the lack of appropriate structures and access to healthcare. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the Mobile Mental Health Units (MMHUs) in Cyclades with and without MMHUs' operation based on Real-World Evidence (RWE). The study population consisted of 724 people who visited the MMHUs of the western and northeastern Cyclades in 2015.

[Effects of unemployment on financial hardship and mental health].

The fiscal austerity measures enacted in Greece due to the recent financial crisis resulted in a reduction of household incomes, a rise of unemployment and consequently poverty, eroding social cohesion fabric and health status of the population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of economic hardship and the socio-demographic profile of the unemployed population on their level of mental health. A cross sectional study was conducted in the Employment Promotion Centers (KPA2) of the Manpower Employment Organization (OAED) in Attica.

Lacosamide as a first-line treatment option in focal epilepsy: a cost-utility analysis for the Greek healthcare system.

Background And Aims: Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder worldwide. Approximately 40% of patients with focal epileptic seizures remain uncontrolled with antiepileptic drug (AED) monotherapy or polytherapy. Lacosamide has been recently approved by the European Medicines Agency as monotherapy for the treatment of focal seizures.

The Effects of Unemployment and Economic Distress on Depression Symptoms.

Introduction: The financial crisis in Greece had its strongest impact on unemployment, which led to exacerbation of shrinking incomes and depression symptoms.

Aim: To investigate the combined effects of unemployment and economic distress on the Greek population mental health in times of economic crisis.

Material And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Piraeus Manpower Employment Organization (OAED), during September-December 2017, with 21,600 unemployed people records.

Polypharmacy and Adherence Among Diabetic Patients in Greece.

Elderly patients are particularly susceptible to polypharmacy issues because of age-related changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as well as to chronic diseases resulting in a continuous increasing demand for drugs. This study captures the prevalence of polypharmacy and adherence in Greece and identifies related risk factors in adult patients with diabetes. A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus attending public and private outpatients' clinics in the regions of Attica and Western Greece.

Comparative Analysis of Legislative Requirements About Patients' Access to Biotechnological Drugs for Rare Diseases in Central and Eastern European Countries.

The aim of the study was to compare the access of patients with rare diseases (RDs) to biotechnological drugs in several Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs). We focused on the legislative pricing and reimbursement requirements, availability of biotechnological orphan medicinal products (BOMPs) for RDs, and reimbursement expenditures. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among experts from 10 CEECs: Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Serbia, and Macedonia.

The annual direct costs of stable COPD in Greece.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) places a major burden on health care systems and has substantial economic effects; however, the cost of stable disease in Greece has never been thoroughly explored. The objective of the study was to estimate the annual COPD patient cost during the maintenance phase and explore the relationships between the cost and disease severity.

Methods: Data were collected from 245 COPD patients (male: 231, mean age: 69.

The pharmacological cost of COPD during Greek economic crisis.

Introduction: The economic crisis in Greece has substantially affected patients with COPD. The reduction of disposable income has its consequences on patients' ability to afford their medication. The aim of the study is to evaluate the cost of treatment for patients with COPD and the influence of the financial crisis to the patients.

Health status and access to health services of female prisoners in Greece: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Self-reported health status of prisoners' population and access to health services during incarceration have not been adequately explored in Greece. The purpose of this study was to assess female prisoners' health status and access to healthcare in the Attica detention center "Korydallos".

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2014.

Antibiotic Prescription Practices of Pediatricians and Pediatric Residents in Hospital Care in Greece.

Introduction: The administration of antibiotics for the treatment of pediatric illnesses is common, reaching one third of pediatric patients. This paper aims to identify the antibiotic prescription practices of pediatricians and to explore the associations between prescribing practices and a series of socio-demographic and professional determinants in Greece.

Material And Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in public hospitals providing secondary and tertiary pediatric care from January to July 2012.

Antibiotic resistance and irrational prescribing in paediatric clinics in Greece.

Introduction: Greece is among the countries with the highest rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and simultaneous antibiotic consumption.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions and knowledge of AMR and irrational antibiotic prescribing of nurses working in paediatric hospitals in Greece.

Method: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to nurses in paediatric hospitals and paediatric clinics in Greece.

Adverse drug reaction reporting related to the administration of antibiotics in hospitalized pediatric patients in Greece.

Introduction: Pharmacosurveillance during the administration of antibiotics is of extreme importance in paediatric patients given their different physiology and adverse drug reaction (ADR) profile compared to the adult population. Systematic reviews show that one in ten hospitalised children will experience ADRs. Administration of antibiotics is among the leading causes of such ADRs.

Budget impact analysis on erythropoiesis-stimulating agents use for the management of chemotherapy-induced anaemia in Greece.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced anaemia is a common and significant complication of chemotherapy treatment. Blood transfusion and administration of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents (ESAs) either alone or in combination with iron are the most widely used therapeutic options. In Greece, ESAs are among the top ten therapeutic groups with the highest pharmaceutical expenditure, since they are fully reimbursed by social security funds.

Cost-effectiveness of pharmacogenetics in anticoagulation: international differences in healthcare systems and costs.

Genotyping patients for CYP2C9 and VKORC1 polymorphisms can improve the accuracy of dosing during the initiation of anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (coumarin derivatives). The anticipated degree of improvement in the safety of anticoagulation with coumarins through genotyping may vary depending on the quality of patient care, which varies both with and among countries. The management and the cost of anticoagulant care can therefore influence the cost-effectiveness of genotyping within any given country.

The cost of COPD exacerbations: a university hospital--based study in Greece.

Background: Hospitalization attributed to severe exacerbations is the major cost driver of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Given that in Greece no previous studies have addressed the economic burden of COPD, the aim of the study was to examine the hospitalization cost of COPD patients with severe exacerbations in the region of Thrace.

Methods: Sample consisted of 142 COPD patients with severe exacerbations who were admitted to the pneumonology department of the University Teaching Hospital of Alexandroupolis (UTHA) in 2006 and 2007.

A systematic review of cost-effectiveness analyses of pharmacogenetic-guided dosing in treatment with coumarin derivatives.

Anticoagulant therapy with coumarin derivatives is often sub- or supra-therapeutic, resulting in an increased risk of thromboembolic events or hemorrhage, respectively. Pharmacogenetic-guided dosing has been proposed as an effective way of reducing bleeding rates. Clinical trials to confirm the safety, efficacy and effectiveness of this strategy are ongoing, but in addition, it is also necessary to consider the cost-effectiveness of this strategy.

Cost estimation of patients admitted to the intensive care unit: a case study of the Teaching University Hospital of Thessaly.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the cost of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Teaching University Hospital of Thessaly (TUHT) in 2006 and to demonstrate discrepancies between actual hospitalisation cost and social funds' reimbursement.

Methods: Cost analysis was performed using a macro-costing approach, which focused on the estimation of nominal and actual cost per ICU patient. Data were derived from the annual records of resources consumed in each hospital unit and from hospital balance sheets.