Clinical and Humanistic Burden of IgAN in Adult Patients: A Global Real-World Survey.

Background: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a chronic, progressive kidney disease in which proteinuria, reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), pain and fatigue are common. How symptoms interact and impact patient quality of life (QoL) in real-world practice is poorly studied. This study investigated how patient and physician symptom perceptions differ and how proteinuria and eGFR correlate with pain, fatigue, and QoL in adult IgAN patients.

Multimorbidities in COPD are Associated With Increased Exacerbations and Health Care Resource Utilization in Real-World Patients from a U.S. Database.

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often develop other morbidities, suggesting a systemic component to this disease. This retrospective noninterventional cohort study investigated relationships between multimorbidities in COPD and their impact on COPD exacerbations and COPD-related health care resource utilization (HCRU) using real-world evidence from Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database.

Methods: Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed.

The burden of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in the United States.

Background: There is limited data on the comparative economic and humanistic burden of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in the United States. The objective was to examine the burden of disease comparing NASH to a representative sample of the general population and separately to a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cohort by assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures, healthcare resource use (HRU) and work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI).

Methods: Data came from the 2016 National Health and Wellness Survey, a nationally representative patient-reported outcomes survey conducted in the United States.

Real-World Burden of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Background & Aims: Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with an increase in healthcare resource use and poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We assessed the humanistic and economic burden of NASH, disease management, and patient journey.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data, collected from July through November 2017, from the Growth from Knowledge Disease Atlas Real-World Evidence program, reported by physicians in United States, France, and Germany.

The burden of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) among patients from Europe: A real-world patient-reported outcomes study.

Unlabelled: Data on the economic and humanistic burden of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are scarce. This study assessed the comparative burden of NASH, relative to a representative sample from the general population and a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cohort, in terms of health-related quality of life, work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI), and healthcare resource use.

Methods: Data across 5 European countries came from the 2016 National Health and Wellness Survey, a nationally representative patient-reported outcomes survey.

Systemic treatment of hormone receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor 2 negative metastatic breast cancer: retrospective analysis from Leeds Cancer Centre.

Background: Study aimed to characterise treatment and outcomes for patients with hormone receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor 2 negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) within a large regional cancer centre, as a benchmark for evaluating real-world impact of novel therapies.

Methods: Retrospective longitudinal cohort, using electronic patient records of adult females with a first diagnosis of HR+/HER2- MBC January 2012-March 2018.

Results: One hundred ninety-six women were identified with HR+/HER2- MBC.

Identification and mapping of worldwide sources of generic real-world data.

Purpose: The demand for real-world data as supportive evidence to traditional clinical studies has increased in the past few years. The present study aimed to identify worldwide generic sources of real-world data and to assess completeness and suitability of selected real-world evidence (RWE) data sources to conduct prespecified research.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify generic (non-disease specific) sources of real-world data in Medline and Embase from January 1, 2010 to September 8, 2015.

Exploring spatial patterns of sudden cardiac arrests in the city of Toronto using Poisson kriging and Hot Spot analyses.

Introduction: Our study looked at out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest events in the City of Toronto. These are relatively rare events, yet present a serious global clinical and public health problem. We report on the application of spatial methods and tools that, although relatively well known to geographers and natural resource scientists, need to become better known and used more frequently by health care researchers.

Evaluation of CT and MRI scanning among cancer patients in Ontario.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utilization in Ontario increased drastically since the early 1990s. The effect of an increased number of cancer diagnoses, and an increase in indications for scans has not been assessed. This study was conducted to determine trends in utilization of CT and MRI in cancer patients in Ontario over a period of 9 years.

Falls among top reasons for transfers from continuing care to acute care hospitals in Canada.

There are limited data on the quality and safety of care for residents in continuing care settings. An analysis of the main reasons why residents, 75 and older, of continuing care facilities are transferred to acute care demonstrates that two of the top three reasons for transfers result from potentially avoidable events.

Thoracic cancer surgeries.

In 2005, Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) released Thoracic Surgical Oncology Standards. These standards were aimed at providing the best level of care for those undergoing thoracic surgery and encompass surgeon training, hospital ancillary services and minimum volume thresholds for surgeries of the lung and esophagus. The objective of the current study was to explore variations in thoracic cancer surgical volumes at the hospital level across Canada.

CT, MRI and ultrasound scanning rates: evaluation of cancer diagnosis, staging and surveillance in Ontario.

Objective: To examine practice patterns and rates of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and abdominal ultrasound (AUS) during staging, treatment and surveillance for cancer patients.

Methods: Using Ontario Health Insurance Plan billing data linked to the Ontario Cancer Registry, we determined rates of CT, MRI, and AUS by body site for breast, colorectal, lung, lymphoma, and prostate cancer, from 1998 to 2002. Rates of scans were additionally examined by region of patient residence and time from cancer diagnosis.

Indications for and results of outpatient computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in Ontario.

Objective: Population rates of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) continue to increase markedly. However, little is known about the indications for and results of these imaging tests.

Methods: A cross-sectional chart-abstraction study was used to determine the indications for and results of outpatient CT and MRI scans performed on or after January 1, 2005, at randomly selected Ontario hospitals.

Childhood asthma surveillance using administrative data: consistency between medical billing and hospital discharge diagnoses.

Background: The absence of ongoing surveillance for childhood asthma in Montreal, Quebec, prompted the present investigation to assess the validity and practicality of administrative databases as a foundation for surveillance.

Objective: To explore the consistency between cases of asthma identified through physician billings compared with hospital discharge summaries.

Methods: Rates of service use for asthma in 1998 among Montreal children aged one, four and eight years were estimated.

Waiting times for radiation therapy in Ontario.

Background: The mass media and clinical journals have reported lengthy waiting times after surgery before initiation of radiation therapy (RT) for cancer across Canada. We aimed to describe the length of time between the last date of surgery or biopsy or chemotherapy and first date of RT.

Methods: This is a population-based study measuring waiting times for RT in Ontario among all patients with potentially curable cancer of the cervix, tonsil and larynx and a random sample of women who had had breast cancer resection, whose first date of RT fell between Sept.

Contaminant exposure among women of childbearing age who eat St. Lawrence River sport fish.

Little information is available concerning the level of consumption and degree of contaminant exposure for North American women of childbearing age who eat sport fish. The authors reanalyzed a 1995-1996 study of Montreal-area (Canada) sport fishers. The authors focused on women sport fishers of childbearing age and male sport fishers who had spouses of childbearing age.