Engagement of medication users in the development and implementation of digital medication adherence technologies: a multi-stakeholder study.

Background: This study aims to create a comprehensive framework for the development and implementation of digital medication adherence technologies (DMATech), focusing on critical stages where engagement of medication users (MU) is considered meaningful, i.e. adds significant value, as agreed upon by participating stakeholders.

Development Perspectives for Curative Technologies in Primary Demyelinating Disorders of the Central Nervous System with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease (MOGAD) at the Forefront.

Primary demyelinating disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) include multiple sclerosis and the orphan conditions neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein IgG-associated disease (MOGAD). Curative technologies under development aim to selectively block autoimmune reactions against specific autoantigens while preserving the responsiveness of the immune system to other antigens. Our analysis focused on target patient selection for such developments, carefully considering the relevant clinical, regulatory, and market-related aspects.

Breast cancer stage and molecular subtype distribution: real-world insights from a regional oncological center in Hungary.

Objective: Examining the distribution of breast cancer (BC) stage and molecular subtype among women aged below (< 45 years), within (45-65 years), and above (> 65 years) the recommended screening age range helps to understand the screening program's characteristics and contributes to enhancing the effectiveness of BC screening programs.

Methods: In this retrospective study, female patients with newly diagnosed BC from 2010 to 2020 were identified. The distribution of cases in terms of TNM stages, severity classes, and subtypes was analysed according to age groups.

Health burden and costs attributable to the carbon footprint of the health sector in the European Union.

Background: The healthcare sector has an environmental impact of around 4.6% of global CO emissions, contributing to aggravating the climate crisis. However, the impact of the health sector's emissions on human health is not regularly assessed.

Decreasing incidence and mortality of lung cancer in Hungary between 2011 and 2021 revealed by robust estimates reconciling multiple data sources.

Objective: Hungary has repeatedly been shown to have the highest cancer-related mortality and incidence in Europe. Despite lung cancer being the most abundant malignant diagnosis in Hungary, numerous concerns have been raised recently regarding the bias inherent to reported incidence estimates. Re-analysis of reimbursement claims has been suggested previously by our group as an alternative approach, offering revised figures of lung cancer incidence between 2011 and 2016.

Consensus-Based Recommendations for the Implementation of Health Technology Assessment in the United Arab Emirates.

Objectives: Healthcare research and development have accelerated at an unprecedented rate creating a challenge even for high-income countries to finance all new technologies. Health technology assessment (HTA) aims to maximize health gains out of available resources. Our study aimed to provide tailor-made recommendations for HTA implementation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Lomustine with or without reirradiation for first progression of glioblastoma, LEGATO, EORTC-2227-BTG: study protocol for a randomized phase III study.

Background: Chemotherapy with lomustine is widely considered as standard treatment option for progressive glioblastoma. The value of adding radiotherapy to second-line chemotherapy is not known.

Methods: EORTC-2227-BTG (LEGATO, NCT05904119) is an investigator-initiated, pragmatic (PRECIS-2 score: 34 out of 45), randomized, multicenter phase III trial in patients with first progression of glioblastoma.

Survival of propionic acidemia patients with liver transplant.

Propionic acidemia (PA) is a rare metabolic disorder affecting amino acid metabolism. Liver transplantation improves some outcomes, but the impact on long-term survival remains unclear. A systematic literature review and survival analysis, identifying 94 PA patients who underwent transplantation, revealed a survival probability of 62% at age 33; while median survival was estimated at 40 years.

Population-level norm values by EQ-5D-3L in Hungary - a comparison of survey results from 2022 with those from 2000.

Purpose: Although population norms of the EQ-5D-3L instrument had been available in Hungary since 2000, their evaluation was based on a United Kingdom (UK) value set. Our objective was to estimate the population norms for EQ-5D-3L by using the new Hungarian value set available since 2020, to extend the scope to adolescents, and to compare with norms from 2000.

Methods: A cross sectional EQ-5D-3L survey representative of the Hungarian population was conducted in 2022.

Framework for developing cost-effectiveness analysis threshold: the case of Egypt.

Background: Cost-effectiveness analyses rarely offer useful insights to policy decisions unless their results are compared against a benchmark threshold. The cost-effectiveness threshold (CET) represents the maximum acceptable monetary value for achieving a unit of health gain. This study aimed to identify CET values on a global scale, provide an overview of using multiple CETs, and propose a country-specific CET framework specifically tailored for Egypt.

Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards for Interventions That Use Artificial Intelligence (CHEERS-AI).

Objectives: Economic evaluations (EEs) are commonly used by decision makers to understand the value of health interventions. The Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS 2022) provide reporting guidelines for EEs. Healthcare systems will increasingly see new interventions that use artificial intelligence (AI) to perform their function.

Lifestyle and metabolic risk factors, and diabetes mellitus prevalence in European countries from three waves of the European Health Interview Survey.

Population shift towards healthier lifestyles can help reduce the burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), therefore understanding and monitoring the lifestyle-related risk factors are crucial for setting up effective preventive strategies and disease management. The present study aimed to explore the changes in prevalence of DM and major risk factors including smoking, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as body mass index (BMI) over three waves of European Health Interview Survey, and to investigate the association between risk factors and presence of DM across 11 European Union member states. Poisson regression models were used to evaluate the association between risk factors and DM, adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic variables.

Hungarian general practice paediatricians' antibiotic prescribing behaviour for suspected respiratory tract infections: a qualitative study.

Objectives: Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing is a major cause of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The aim of this study was to explore paediatric general practitioners' (GP Peds) antibiotic prescription practice in suspected respiratory tract infections (RTIs), using the capability-opportunity-motivation-behaviour framework.

Design: The design is a qualitative study based on individual, semistructured telephone or virtual interviews.

Overcoming Barriers in Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment (HB-HTA): International Expert Panel Consensus.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the common facilitators and barriers associated with the implementation of hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA) across diverse hospital settings in seven countries. Through a two-round Delphi study, insights were gathered from a panel of 15 HTA specialists from France, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Experts initially conducted a comprehensive review of the HB-HTA implementation in their respective countries, identifying the barriers and facilitators through descriptive analysis.

Effects of phantom microstructure on their optical properties.

Significance: Developing stable, robust, and affordable tissue-mimicking phantoms is a prerequisite for any new clinical application within biomedical optics. To this end, a thorough understanding of the phantom structure and optical properties is paramount.

Aim: We characterized the structural and optical properties of PlatSil SiliGlass phantoms using experimental and numerical approaches to examine the effects of phantom microstructure on their overall optical properties.

Mapping Health Technology Assessment Agency Approaches for Biosimilar Value Assessment: An ISPOR Special Interest Group Report.

Objectives: A systematic literature review undertaken by the ISPOR Biosimilar Special Interest Group highlighted that limited guidance exists on how to assess biosimilars value and on appropriate economic evaluation techniques. This study described current health technology assessment (HTA) agency approaches for biosimilar value assessment.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews (n = 16) were carried out with HTA experts in Africa, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe to investigate current HTA practices for biosimilars.

National strategies for knowledge translation in health policy-making: A scoping review of grey literature.

Background And Objectives: Without strategic actions in its support, the translation of scientific research evidence into health policy is often absent or delayed. This review systematically maps and assesses national-level strategic documents in the field of knowledge translation (KT) for health policy, and develops a practical template that can support Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Europe countries in producing national strategies for evidence-informed policy-making.

Methods: Websites of organizations with strategic responsibilities in KT were electronically searched, on the basis of pre-defined criteria, in July-August 2017, and an updated search was carried out in April-June 2021.

Development of the Emirates Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Tool for Orphan Drugs.

Background The number of orphan drug approvals is currently increasing globally. This creates a significant burden on payers and healthcare systems. This study aimed to create a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tool for evaluating orphan drugs within the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Effectiveness of educational interventions for healthcare workers on vaccination dialogue with older adults: a systematic review.

Background: Healthcare workers (HCW) significantly influence older adults' vaccine acceptance. This systematic review aimed to identify effective educational interventions for HCWs that could enhance their ability to engage in a dialogue with older adults on vaccination.

Methods: Medline, Scopus, Cochrane library and grey literature were searched for comparative studies investigating educational interventions concerning older adult vaccinations.

Subnational inequalities in years of life lost and associations with socioeconomic factors in pre-pandemic Europe, 2009-19: an ecological study.

Background: Health inequalities have been associated with shorter lifespans. We aimed to investigate subnational geographical inequalities in all-cause years of life lost (YLLs) and the association between YLLs and socioeconomic factors, such as household income, risk of poverty, and educational attainment, in countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: In this ecological study, we extracted demographic and socioeconomic data from Eurostat for 1390 small regions and 285 basic regions for 32 countries in the EEA, which was complemented by a time-trend analysis of subnational regions within the EEA.

Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 primary vaccines and boosters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Hungary (HUN-VE 4 Study).

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection and is associated with increased risk of complications. The present study aimed to investigate effectiveness and persistence of different COVID vaccines in persons with or without diabetes during the Delta wave in Hungary.

Research Design And Methods: Data sources were the national COVID-19 registry data from the National Public Health Center and the National Health Insurance Fund on the total Hungarian population.

Assessing clinical benefit in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program: A 2-step approach for improving transparency, consistency, and meaningful patient engagement.

In early 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will send initial price offers to the manufacturers of the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, established under the Inflation Reduction Act. However, CMS has not specified exactly how it will adjust the starting point for an initial price offer based on assessment of a drug's clinical benefit. This article addresses unanswered questions relating to CMS' methods for assessing clinical benefit.