Medication non-adherence: reflecting on two decades since WHO adherence report and setting goals for the next twenty years.

Background: Non-adherence to medication remains a persistent and significant challenge, with profound implications for patient outcomes and the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. Two decades ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) dedicated its seminal report to adherence to long-term therapies, catalysing notable changes that advanced both research and practice in medication adherence. The aim of this paper was to identify the most important progress made over the last 2 decades in medication adherence management and to initiate a discussion on future objectives, suggesting priority targets for the next 20 years.

The diabetes mellitus comorbidity index in European Union member states based on the 2019 European Health Interview Survey.

Multiple chronic conditions reduce the quality of life and increase healthcare needs for people with diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aims to describe the prevalence of comorbidities associated with DM in the European Union (EU) at national and sub-national levels and to assess the utility of a comorbidity burden index. The study was carried out using microdata from European Health Interview Survey 2019 including adults aged 25 and older with DM from 26 EU member states (n = 20,042).

Regulatory Framework for Supporting the Integration and Use of Biosimilars in the Private Healthcare System of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Introduction Biologics are substantial in the treatment of different diseases; however, they can burden the healthcare systems due to their high cost. Biosimilars can help healthcare systems keep their financial sustainability and patients access to biological therapies. The research objective is to formulate a framework for integrating biosimilars in the private healthcare sector of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Effect of single-pill versus free equivalent combinations on persistence and major adverse cardiovascular events in hypertension: a real-world analysis.

Objectives: Hypertension guidelines recommend the use of single-pill combinations (SPCs) of antihypertensive drugs to improve treatment persistence and blood pressure control. This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of ramipril/amlodipine (R/A) SPC versus free equivalent dose combinations (FEC) on cardiovascular outcomes and treatment persistence.

Methods: This retrospective, observational study analysed the database of the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund.

Thresholds for the value judgement of health technologies in the United Arab Emirates: a consensus approach through voting sessions.

Background: In the evolving healthcare landscape of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), establishing cost-effectiveness thresholds (CETs) is pivotal to informing decision-makers about the value of health technologies.

Objective: This study aimed to establish CETs for the UAE that harmonise with international standards while reflecting the nation's unique healthcare needs and economic context.

Setting: United Arab Emirates.

Identifying and presenting key country-specific indicators related to medication adherence: a comprehensive study across European countries.

This study tackles the critical challenge of medication non-adherence in healthcare by pinpointing indicators related to medication adherence (IRMAs) across 39 European countries and Israel. Utilizing a structured expert survey methodology within the European Network to Advance Best Practices and Technology on Medication Adherence (ENABLE; COST Action CA19132), our research identified key country-specific IRMAs and collected data on these indicators to understand the multifaceted nature of medication adherence. The research was conducted in two phases: firstly, defining key IRMAs through a two-round expert survey, and secondly, gathering country-specific data on these IRMAs through literature reviews and additional expert surveys.

Revising cancer incidence in a Central European country: a Hungarian nationwide study between 2011-2019 based on a health insurance fund database.

Background: The nationwide HUN-CANCER EPI study examined cancer incidence and mortality rates in Hungary from 2011 to 2019.

Methods: Using data from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO), our retrospective study analyzed newly diagnosed malignancies between Jan 1, 2011, and Dec 31, 2019. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated for all and for different tumor types using both the 1976 and 2013 European Standard Populations (ESP).

The hidden burden of atopic dermatitis in central and Eastern European countries.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) imposes a hidden burden through its negative effects on quality of life and productivity. We aim to estimate this hidden burden in adults and adolescents in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

Methods: We created a burden of disease model to quantify AD's hidden burden.

Adherence to the antirheumatic drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyze the adherence rate for conventional and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) utilizing different assessment measures.

Method: A systematic literature search was performed in four electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), covering the time frame from April 1970 to April 2023. Studies that present data on medication adherence among adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), specifically focusing on DMARDs (conventional or biological), were included in the analysis.

A roadmap towards implementing health technology assessment in Oman.

Purpose: Health technologies are advancing rapidly and becoming more expensive, posing a challenge for financing healthcare systems. Health technology assessment (HTA) improves the efficiency of resource allocation by facilitating evidence-informed decisions on the value of health technologies. Our study aims to create a customized HTA roadmap for Oman based on a gap analysis between the current and future status of HTA implementation.

Laser speckle contrast imaging of perfusion in oncological clinical applications: a literature review.

Background: Laser speckle coherence imaging (LSCI) is an emerging imaging modality that enables noninvasive visualization and assessment of tissue perfusion and microcirculation. In this article, we evaluated LSCI in imaging perfusion in clinical oncology through a systematic review of the literature.

Methods: The inclusion criterion for the literature search in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus electronic databases was the use of LSCI in clinical oncology, meaning that all animal, phantom, , experimental, research and development, and purely methodological studies were excluded.

Prospects of Food Taxes for Planetary Health: A Systematic Review of Modeling Studies.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the modeling methodologies of fiscal policies on food with health or environmental outcomes.

Background: Evidence suggests that fiscal policies on food can contribute to addressing the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and climate change. These policies should be modeled in advance to see the implications for the environment and health.

Cost-Effectiveness of Lung Cancer Screening with Low-Dose Computed Tomography: Comparing Hungarian Screening Protocols with the US NLST.

We aimed to directly compare the cost-effectiveness of Hungarian (following the NELSON trial) and NLST screening protocols, two trials influencing lung-cancer-screening implementation internationally. A decision-analytic model analyzing the cost-effectiveness of Hungarian protocols was manipulated to reflect the protocols of the NLST, while maintaining features specific to the Hungarian healthcare setting. In the Hungarian protocol, there are three possible outcomes to the initial round of screening, positive, negative, and indeterminate, indicating an uncertain degree of suspicion for lung cancer.

We need better ways to help students avoid the harms of stress: Results of a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of school-based stress management interventions.

The level of psychological stress in children and adolescents has increased rapidly over the past decade. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based intervention programs targeting stress management and coping/resilience in school-aged children. The present study used more rigorous selection criteria than previous meta-analyses by only including randomized controlled trials to increase the validity of the meta-analysis.

Designing a Roadmap for Health Technology Assessment Implementation in Algeria.

Background The scarcity of resources restricts healthcare financing decisions, affecting the population's health. Health technology assessment (HTA) balances restricted budgets with the best possible health outcomes. We aim to characterize the current status of HTA in Algeria and describe the future directions for HTA implementation according to the priorities set by local stakeholders.

Prevalence and determinants of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in Hungary based on the nationally representative cross-sectional H-UNCOVER study.

Aims: To estimate prevalence of diagnosed (dDM) and undiagnosed diabetes (uDM) in Hungary and investigate determinants of uDM.

Methods: Data was obtained from the nationally representative H-UNCOVER study. As laboratory measurements were available for 11/19 Hungarian counties, n = 5,974/17,787 people were eligible.

Facilitators and Barriers of Incremental Innovation by Fixed Dose Combinations in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Despite the availability of affordable pharmaceuticals treating cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), many of the risk factors remain poorly controlled. Fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), a form of incremental innovation, have already demonstrated improvements over combinations of single medicines in adherence and hard clinical endpoints. Nevertheless, there are many barriers related to the wider use of FDCs in CVDs.

The 30-Billion-Dollar Distribution Markups and Taxes of Pharmaceuticals in Latin American Countries: Impact, Options, and Trade-Offs.

Objectives: The World Health Organization provides 10 specific guidelines for managing the prices of pharmaceutical products. Many of those are widely known and used such as reference pricing, value-based pricing, price transparency, and tendering. Less attention and knowledge is concentrated in markup regulation across the pharmaceutical supply chain and distribution and in tax exemptions or reductions.