Disparities in health utilities among hepatitis C patients receiving care in different settings.

Although chronic hepatitis C (CHC) disproportionately affects marginalized individuals, most health utility studies are conducted in hospital settings which are difficult for marginalized patients to access. We compared health utilities in CHC patients receiving care at hospital-based clinics and socio-economically marginalized CHC patients receiving care through a community-based program. We recruited CHC patients from hospital-based clinics at the University Health Network and community-based sites of the Toronto Community Hep C Program, which provides treatment, support, and education to patients who have difficulty accessing mainstream health care.

Impact of direct-acting antiviral treatment on health utility in patients with chronic hepatitis C in hospital and community settings.

Background: Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have transformed chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treatment. Continued affordable access to DAAs requires updated cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA). Utility is a preference-based measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) used in CEA.

Time Costs and Out-of-Pocket Costs in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C in a Publicly Funded Health System.

Objectives: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection affects more than 70 million people worldwide and imposes considerable health and economic burdens on patients and society. This study estimated 2 understudied components of the economic burden, patient out-of-pocket (OOP) costs and time costs, in patients with CHC in a tertiary hospital clinic setting and a community clinic setting.

Methods: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study with hospital-based (n = 174) and community-based (n = 101) cohorts.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Health Utilities in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is among the most burdensome infectious diseases in the world. Health utilities are a valuable tool for quantifying this burden and conducting cost-utility analysis.

Objective: Our study summarizes the available data on utilities in CHC patients.

Antiviral treatment for treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection poses a significant burden to public health worldwide. Most cases are clinically silent until late in the disease course. The main goal of current therapy is to improve survival and quality of life by preventing disease progression to cirrhosis and liver failure, and consequently hepatocellular carcinoma development.

Assessment of the efficacy of second life, a virtual learning environment, in dental education.

This study assessed the efficacy of Second Life (SL) in delivering lectures and demonstrating clinical procedures. Sixteen students in a dental school in Alexandria, Egypt, volunteered to participate in SL to learn about topical fluoride through lectures and YouTube videos demonstrating the application of fluoride gel. This was followed by face to face (F2F) sessions about pits and fissures sealant including lectures and F2F demonstration.