Cost Effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) as Destination Therapy: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) can extend life and improve quality of life among advanced heart failure patients ineligible for transplantation (destination therapy). High-quality evidence on the cost effectiveness of LVADs compared with optimal medical management is needed to inform policy. This study identifies economic evaluations of LVADs for destination therapy and assesses their methodological quality.

Cost-effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) as destination therapy in the UK: An economic modelling study.

Objectives: Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) for destination therapy (DT) are used in many countries but in some, like the UK, LVADs are not commissioned due to uncertainty around their cost-effectiveness. Existing economic evaluations of LVADs for these patients have limitations. This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of LVADs as destination therapy, compared to optimal medical therapy, in the UK.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of left ventricular assist devices as destination therapy for advanced heart failure: systematic review and economic evaluation.

Background: Selected patients with advanced heart failure ineligible for heart transplantation could benefit from left ventricular assist device therapy as 'destination therapy'. There is evidence of the efficacy of destination therapy; however, it is not currently commissioned within the United Kingdom National Health Service due to the lack of economic evidence.

Objective: What is the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a left ventricular assist device compared to medical management for patients with advanced heart failure ineligible for heart transplantation (destination therapy)?

Methods: A systematic review of evidence on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of left ventricular assist devices as destination therapy was undertaken including, where feasible, a network meta-analysis to provide an indirect estimate of the relative effectiveness of currently available left ventricular assist devices compared to medical management.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to preserve insulin-secreting β-cell function in people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes: Results from intervention studies aimed at improving glucose control.

Aims: Type 1 diabetes is characterised by the destruction of pancreatic β-cells. Significant levels of β-cells remain at diagnosis. Preserving these cells improves glucose control and protects from long-term complications.

Rapid, point-of-care antigen and molecular-based tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: Accurate rapid diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection could contribute to clinical and public health strategies to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Point-of-care antigen and molecular tests to detect current infection could increase access to testing and early confirmation of cases, and expediate clinical and public health management decisions that may reduce transmission.

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care antigen and molecular-based tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Noninvasive Instrument-based Tests for Detecting and Measuring Vitreous Inflammation in Uveitis: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: This systematic review aims to identify instrument-based tests for quantifying vitreous inflammation in uveitis, report the test reliability and the level of correlation with clinician grading.

Methods: Studies describing instrument-based tests for detecting vitreous inflammation were identified by searching bibliographic databases and trials registers. Test reliability measures and level of correlation with clinician vitreous haze grading are extracted.

Rapid, point-of-care antigen and molecular-based tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic present important diagnostic challenges. Several diagnostic strategies are available to identify or rule out current infection, identify people in need of care escalation, or to test for past infection and immune response. Point-of-care antigen and molecular tests to detect current SARS-CoV-2 infection have the potential to allow earlier detection and isolation of confirmed cases compared to laboratory-based diagnostic methods, with the aim of reducing household and community transmission.

Risk of bias assessment of test comparisons was uncommon in comparative accuracy systematic reviews: an overview of reviews.

Objectives: Comparative diagnostic test accuracy systematic reviews (DTA reviews) assess the accuracy of two or more tests and compare their diagnostic performance. We investigated how comparative DTA reviews assessed the risk of bias (RoB) in primary studies that compared multiple index tests.

Study Design And Setting: This is an overview of comparative DTA reviews indexed in MEDLINE from January 1st to December 31st, 2017.

Antibody tests for identification of current and past infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus and resulting COVID-19 pandemic present important diagnostic challenges. Several diagnostic strategies are available to identify current infection, rule out infection, identify people in need of care escalation, or to test for past infection and immune response. Serology tests to detect the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 aim to identify previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and may help to confirm the presence of current infection.

Non-invasive Instrument-Based Tests for Quantifying Anterior Chamber Flare in Uveitis: A Systematic Review.

: Anterior chamber (AC) flare is a key sign for anterior uveitis. New instrument-based techniques for measuring AC flare can offer automation and objectivity. This review aims to identify objective instrument-based measures for AC flare.

Instrument-based tests for quantifying aqueous humour protein levels in uveitis: a systematic review protocol.

Background: Inflammation in anterior uveitis is characterised by breakdown of the blood-ocular barrier, which allows leakage of blood constituents of higher molecular weight into the aqueous humour. In routine clinical care, increase in aqueous protein levels can be observed at the slit lamp as 'flare' and the severity can be graded using various clinical grading systems, of which the Standardization of Uveitis Nomenclature (SUN) grading system is most commonly used. Alternative instrument-based technologies are available, which can detect aqueous protein levels in an objective and quantifiable way.

Instrument-based Tests for Measuring Anterior Chamber Cells in Uveitis: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: New instrument-based techniques for anterior chamber (AC) cell counting can offer automation and objectivity above clinician assessment. This review aims to identify such instruments and its correlation with clinician estimates.

Methods: Using standard systematic review methodology, we identified and tabulated the outcomes of studies reporting reliability and correlation between instrument-based measurements and clinician AC cell grading.

Body image dissatisfaction in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review.

Background And Aims: Little is known about the relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and body image. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the evidence on body image dissatisfaction in patients with IBD across four areas: (1) body image tools, (2) prevalence, (3) factors associated with body image dissatisfaction in IBD and (4) association between IBD and quality of life.

Methods: Two reviewers screened, selected, quality assessed and extracted data from studies in duplicate.

Body image dissatisfaction in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review protocol.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a debilitating chronic disease characterised by inflammation and ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract. It is associated with a range of debilitating symptoms and reduced quality of life. People living with IBD may also be at risk of body image dissatisfaction (BID).