| 1. |
- Al-Alawi, Kamila, 1974-
(författare)
-
Team-based approach in the management of diabetes at primary health care level in Muscat, Oman : challenges and opportunities
- 2019
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: The growth of type 2 diabetes is considered an alarming epidemic in Oman. The efficient team-based approach to diabetes management in primary health care is an essential component for providing ideal diabetic care. This thesis aimed to explore the current situation related to team-based management of type 2 diabetes in public Primary Health Care Centres (PHCCs) under the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Oman, including the various challenges associated with diabetes management and the most preferable Human Resources for Health (HRH) management mechanism, and to examine how this could be optimized from provider and patient perspectives.Materials and methods: The entire project was conducted in Muscat Governorate and was based on one quantitative and three qualitative studies. In the quantitative study, 26 public PHCCs were approached through cross-sectional study. The core diabetes management team recommended by the MOH for PHCCs in Oman was explored in terms of their competencies, values, skills, and resources related to the team-based approach to diabetes management. For the qualitative studies, five public purposely-selected PHCCs were approached. The diabetes consultations conducted by the core members and other supportive members involved in diabetes management were observed and later the Primary Health Care Providers (PHCPs) were interviewed. The different approaches explored challenges related to diabetes management and the most preferable HRH mechanism by PHCPs. Seven type 2 diabetes patients with different gender, employment status, and education were consequently interviewed to explore their perceptions towards the current diabetes management service and their opinions towards nurse-led clinics.Results: The survey provided significant and diverse perceptions of PHCPs towards their competencies, values, skills, and resources related to diabetes management. Physicians considered themselves to have better competencies than nurses and dieticians. Physicians also scored higher on team-related skills and values compared with health educators. In terms of team-related skills, the difference between physicians and nurses was statistically significant and showed that physicians perceived themselves to have better skills than nurses. Confusion about the leadership concept among PHCPs with a lack of pharmacological, technical, and human resources was also reported. The observations and interviews with PHCPs disclosed three different models of service delivery at diabetes management clinics. The challenges explored involved PHCCs’ infrastructure, nurses’ knowledge, skills, and non-availability of technical and pharmaceutical support. Other challenges that evolved into the community were cultural beliefs, traditions, health awareness, and public transportation. Complete implementation of task-sharing mechanisms within the team-based approach was selected by all PHCPs as the most preferable HRH mechanism. The selection was discussed in the context of positive outcomes, worries, and future requirements. The physicians stated that nurses’ weak contribution to the team within the selected mechanism could be the most significant aspect. Other members supported the task-sharing mechanism between physicians and nurses. However, type 2 diabetes patients’ non-acceptance of a service provided by the nurses created worries for the nurses. The interviews with type 2 diabetes patients disclosed positive perceptions towards the current diabetes management visits; however, opinions towards nurse-led clinics varied among the patients.Conclusions and recommendations: The team-based approach at diabetes management clinics in public PHCCs in Oman requires thoughtful attention. Diverse presence of the team members can form challenges during service delivery. Clear roles for team members must be outlined through a solid HRH management mechanism in the context of a sharp leadership concept. Nurse-led clinics are an important concept within the team; however, their implementation requires further investigation. The concept must involve clear understandings of independence and interdependence by the team members, who must be educated to provide a strong gain for team-based service delivery.
|
|
| 2. |
- Hambraeus, Johan, 1959-
(författare)
-
Interventional pain management focused on zygapophysial joint pain : a health-economic evaluation
- 2023
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The pain-system is a central mechanism in our life. Chronic pain is one of the major causes of impaired health-related quality of life according to the World Health Organization’s “Global Burden of Disease”-studies. Zygapophysial joint pain has been shown to account for the pain in 30% - 50% of patients with chronic pain. There are several well-established, evidence-based methods to treat zygapophysial joint pain in the cervical and lumbar regions.This thesis originates from this and starts by exploring whether the treatment of zygapophysial joint pain can improve health-related quality of life. This thesis describes methods for the diagnosis and treatment of zygapophysial joint pain in the thoracic region that can be applied to the treatment of all pain-foci localized to the zygapophysial joints. I show that the health-related quality of life was significantly improved after treatment, and that the clinical methods used for treating thoracic pain were similar to the methods that have been established previously for cervical and lumbar pain.In order to better understand the patients’ experiences we performed qualitative interviews with patients who underwent diagnostic tests and treatments. The overall theme revealed by these interviews was that of empowerment, in which the patients were empowered by the process of diagnostic tests and treatments.The next question was whether the method was cost-effective or not. In the first cost-effectiveness analysis, the patients served as their own controls and we evaluated the results against the limits set by the Swedish national board of health and welfare. The results showed that it was cost-effective in the moderate to low range.Finally, we compared the treatment to the “gold standard” for pain management in Sweden; i.e.pain rehabilitation. We mimicked a randomized controlled trial by using propensity score weighting to compare 254 patients agains 15,357 patients registered in the Swedish National Register of Pain Rehabilitation. The results showed that interventional pain management was cost-effective in the moderate (12 months after treatment) to low (≥24 months after) range whereas pain rehabilitation was in the very high range (after 12 months) and became cost-effective in the high range after 24 months of treatment. Currently, interventional pain management accounts for just 2% of all specialized pain management procedures in Sweden. If this could be increased to 25%, it may be possible to save 106 million SEK annually, while simultaneously gain 14 quality adjusted life years of health. If an interventional pain assessment is performed early in the process, treatable patients could be directed toward interventional treatment and away from interdisciplinary pain management programs, with the potential for further reductions in costs.
|
|
| 3. |
- Hitimana, Regis, 1982-
(författare)
-
Health economic evaluation for evidence-informed decisions in low-resource settings : the case of Antenatal care policy in Rwanda
- 2018
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Introduction: The general aim of this thesis is to contribute to the use of health economic evidence for informed health care decisions in low-resource settings, using antenatal care (ANC) policy in Rwanda as a case study. Despite impressive and sustained progress over the last 15 years, Rwanda’s maternal mortality ratio is still among the highest in the world. Persistent gaps in health care during pregnancy make ANC a good candidate among interventions that can, if improved, contribute to better health and well-being of mothers and newborns in Rwanda.Methods: Data used in this thesis were gathered from primary and secondary data collections. The primary data sources included a cross-sectional household survey (N=922) and a health facility survey (N=6) conducted in Kigali city and the Northern Province, as well as expert elicitation with Rwandan specialists (N=8). Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for women during the first-year post-partum was measured using the EQ-5D-3L instrument. The association between HRQoL and adequacy of ANC utilization and socioeconomic and demographic predictors was tested through bivariate and linear regression analyses (Paper I). The costs of current ANC practices in Rwanda for both the health sector and households were estimated through analysis of primary data (Paper II). Incremental cost associated with the implementation of the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) ANC recommendations compared to current practice in Rwanda was estimated through simulation of attendance and adaptation of the unit cost estimates (Paper III). Incremental health outcomes of the 2016 WHO ANC recommendations were estimated as life-years saved from perinatal and maternal mortality reduction obtained from the expert elicitation (Paper III). Lastly, a systematic review of the evidence base for the cost and cost-effectiveness of routine ultrasound during pregnancy was conducted (Paper IV). The review included 606 studies published between January 1999 and April 2018 and retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane database.Results: Sixty one percent of women had not adequately attended ANC according to the Rwandan guidelines during their last pregnancy; either attending late or fewer than four times. Adequate utilization of ANC was significantly associated with better HRQoL after delivery measured using EQ-VAS, as were good social support and household wealth. The most prevalent health problems were anxiety or depression and pain or discomfort. The first ANC visit accounted for about half the societal cost of ANC, which was $44 per woman (2015 USD) in public/faith-based facilities and $160 in the surveyed private facility. Implementing the 2016 WHO recommendations in Rwanda would have an incremental national annual cost between $5.8 million and $11 million across different attendance scenarios. The estimated reduction in perinatal mortality would be between 22.5% and 55%, while maternal mortality reduction would range from 7% to 52.5%. Out of six combinations of attendance and health outcome scenarios, four were below the GDP-based cost-effectiveness threshold. Out of the 606 studies on cost and cost-effectiveness of ultrasound during pregnancy retrieved from the databases, only nine reached the data extraction stage. Routine ultrasound screening was reported to be a cost-effective intervention for screening pregnant women for cervical length, for vasa previa, and congenital heart disease, and cost-saving when used for screening for fetal malformations.Conclusions: The use of health economic evidence in decision making for low-income countries should be promoted. It is currently among the least used types of evidence, yet there is a huge potential of gaining many QALYs given persistent and avoidable morbidity and mortality. In this thesis, ANC policy in Rwanda was used as a case to contribute to evidence informed decision-making using health economic evaluation methods. Low-income countries, particularly those that that still have a high burden of maternal and perinatal mortality should consider implementing the 2016 WHO ANC recommendations.
|
|
| 4. |
- Lämås, Kristina, 1960-
(författare)
-
Magmassage vid förstoppning : upplevelser, effekter och kostnadseffektivitet
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis evaluates experiences, effects, and costs of abdominal massage for people with constipation. The thesis comprises four papers: Paper I is a literature review of health economic analysis of nursing practice. Paper II and III is a prospective randomized controlled trial that evaluates abdominal massage in terms of effects and costs. Paper IV uses a qualitative approach to illuminate the experiences of receiving abdominal massage. Paper II and III included 60 participants who were constipated in accordance with Rome II criteria. Paper IV included nine participants. Paper I investigated the application of economic evaluation in studies of nursing practice. Systematic database searches were performed and gave nearly 600 papers that were screened and 115 studies were relevant according to stipulated inclusion criteria. The result showed that there was a trend of increased publications from the year 2000. Few studies reported the health economic methods used and the perspective of the economic analysis. There was a large variability in number of included cost items. Because the methodological weaknesses in many studies, it was difficult to use some studies as ground for discussion of resource distribution. Paper II investigates the effects of abdominal massage on gastrointestinal function and laxative intake on persons with constipation. The questionnaire Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) was used and data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results showed that after eight weeks of abdominal massage the intervention group experienced significantly fewer gastrointestinal symptoms and had significantly more bowel evacuation compared with the control group. There were no differences in laxative intake. Paper III evaluated the change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people with constipation when receiving abdominal massage and estimates the cost-effectiveness of two alternative implementation scenarios: 1) abdominal massage given by enrolled nurses in a department; and 2) participants giving themselves abdominal massage after receiving training in self-massage. Both scenarios imply that all participants received abdominal massage for eight weeks and those who found the treatment effective continued to receive treatment for eight more weeks. EQ-5D was used to assess HRQoL and for calculating QALY. The intervention group had after eight weeks of abdominal massage significantly higher HRQoL assessed with EQ-5D VAS compared with the control group. No significant differences were assessed with the EQ-5D index. Abdominal massage is initially expensive, but for those who respond favourably abdominal massage can be a cost-effective long-term treatment. Paper IV examines the experiences of receiving abdominal massage when having constipation. Four themes were formulated: being on one’s guard, becoming embraced by safe hands, feeling touch to body and mind, and being in a fragile state. Receiving abdominal massage was described as comfortable and lead to decreased problems with constipation. The improvement was described as easily disturbed and it was associated with demands to continue massage to maintain the new state. Conclusion: Abdominal massage is a pleasant treatment that provides significantly fewer gastrointestinal symptoms and increased health-related quality of life. As a long- term treatment, abdominal massage can be a cost-effective treatment.
|
|
| 5. |
- Nordyke, Katrina, 1975-
(författare)
-
Mass screening for celiac disease : a public health intervention from the participant perspective
- 2013
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic disorder in genetically predisposed individuals in which damage to the small intestine is caused by eating foods containing gluten. The prevalence has been shown to vary from around 1-3%, but most people with CD are undiagnosed. An option for finding those with unrecognized CD would include screening the general population, i.e., mass screening. However, screening identifies a pre-disease or disease condition in people who are presumed healthy and have not sought help. Therefore, the impacts of the screening process and being diagnosed through screening should be explored before such a public health intervention is considered. A population-based CD screening study involving 12-year-olds was undertaken in Sweden and provided an opportunity to explore these issues related to CD screening.Aims To make inferences about the potential impacts mass screening for CD can have on participants by exploring experiences and outcomes for participants involved in CD screening study.Methods and Subjects Both qualitative (short written narratives) and quantitative (questionnaires with EQ-5D instrument) methods were used. Children who participated in the CD screening study were invited to write narratives at the time of the screening, before screening results were known, describing their experience with the screening (n=240). The EQ-5D instrument was used to measure and compare health-related quality of life reported by participants at the time of the screening and one year after the screening-detected participants received their diagnosis (screening-detected n=103, referents n=483). Those with screening-detected CD were also invited to write narratives one and five years after their diagnosis. In these narratives the adolescents described how it felt to be diagnosed with CD, how it felt to live with CD, and if they thought all children should be screened (one-year follow-up n=91, five-year follow-up n=72). Results Even though some children experienced fear and anxiety during the screening, overall they had, or were provided with, tools that allowed them to cope well with the screening. The health-related quality of life reported by those with screening-detected CD was similar before and one year after diagnosis (and similar to that of the referents). We also found that after five years of living with the diagnosis there had been maintenance and evolution in the beliefs and practices of these adolescents. Being detected through screening and the threat of complications impacted how they felt about the diagnosis, coped with the gluten-free diet, and what they thought about CD screening. Five years after the screening-detected diagnosis the adolescents have adjusted to the disease and adapted new habits and coping strategies to deal with the gluten-free diet. However, there are still those who doubt the accuracy and benefit of the diagnosis. Conclusions Our findings suggest that it is possible for participants to avoid excess anxiety during CD screening. However, there was not consensus among participants that being detected and treated had improved their health-related quality of life or that the immediate benefits outweighed the harm caused by being detected in this way. When considering mass screening, the affect on the participants is important to take into account and our findings shed light on some of the potential impacts a CD mass screening could have on participants.
|
|
| 6. |
- Probandari, Ari, 1975-
(författare)
-
Revisiting the choice : to involve hospitals in the partnership for tuberculosis control in Indonesia
- 2010
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in many low- and middle-income countries, including Indonesia. To accelerate TB case detection, and to improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment provided by all providers, the Public-Private Mix for implementing Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (PPM DOTS) was introduced in 2000. However, previous studies on PPM DOTS have focused on private practitioners and there has been a scarcity of research on PPM DOTS in the hospital setting. This dissertation aims to capture the potential of the PPM DOTS strategy, and identify the barriers to its implementation in hospitals in Indonesia. This dissertation is based on four separate but interrelated studies: 1. A costeffectiveness analysis, comparing incremental cost per additional number of TB cases successfully treated under three strategies of PPM DOTS in four provinces. 2. An evaluation of the access to TB services by a cross-sectional study among 62 hospitals, by estimating the proportion of TB cases receiving standardised diagnosis and treatment according to the DOTS strategy. The data were analysed using poststratification analysis. 3. The quality aspect was explored in a multiple-case study, including eight selected hospitals. The data were analysed using cross-case analysis. 4. The process of partnership was explored through a qualitative study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 33 informants, who were actors involved in PPM DOTS in hospitals in Yogyakarta province. Content analysis was applied to the qualitative data. PPM DOTS in hospitals was shown to be a cost-effective intervention in this particular context. However, the quality of the implementation was commonly suboptimal. In addition, a substantial number of TB cases did not get standardised diagnosis and treatment as per the DOTS strategy. The process of creating partnership among hospitals and National TB Programme was shown to be complex and dynamic. Process factors, such as commitment to collaboration and interaction and trust among the actors, were shown to be important. The rapid scaling-up of PPM DOTS in hospitals at the national level in Indonesia should be revisited. Indeed, considering the importance of hospitals in TB control, the implementation should be continued and expanded. However, more attention needs to be given to process, context and governance.
|
|
| 7. |
- Randive, Bharat, 1977-
(författare)
-
Study of conditional cash transfer programme Janani Suraksha Yojana for promotion of institutional births : Studies from selected provinces of India
- 2015
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: To accelerate the coverage of skilled birth attendance, in 2005, the Indian government initiated a conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) that provides cash to women upon delivering in health facilities. The attempt to increase the utilization of facilities through the JSY, given the health system’s fragile state, has raised concerns about the programme’s success at achieving its intended goal of reducing maternal mortality ratio (MMR).Aim: To understand the implementation of the CCT policy to promote institutional births in India, with a special focus on nine of India’s poorer states.Methods: Thesis uses both quantitative and qualitative methods. The changes in coverage and inequalities in institutional births in the nine states following the initiation of JSY were analysed by comparing levels before and during the programme using state and district level data. The association between the coverage of institutional births and MMR was assessed using regression analysis (I). The change in socioeconomic inequalities in institutional births was estimated using the concentration index and concentration curve, and contributions of different factors to inequalities was computed by decomposition analysis (II). The quality of referral services was studied by conducting a survey of health facilities (n=96) and post-partum women (n=1182) in three districts of Madhya Pradesh. Conditional logistic regression was used to study the association between maternal referrals and adverse birth outcomes, while spatial data for referrals were analysed using Geographical Information Systems (III). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with government and non-government stakeholders (n=11) to explore their perceptions of the JSY, and the data were analysed using a thematic framework approach (IV).Results: In five years, institutional births increased significantly from a pre-programme average of 20% to 49%. However, no significant association between district-level institutional birth proportions and MMR was found (I). The inequality in access to institutional delivery care, although reduced since the introduction of JSY, still persists. Differences in male literacy, availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) in public facilities and poverty explained 69% of the observed inequality. While MMR has decreased in all areas since the introduction of JSY, it has declined four times faster in the richest areas than in the poorest (II). Adjusted odds for adverse birth outcomes among those referred were twice than in those who were not referred (AOR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1-6.6). A spatial analysis of the inter-facility transfer time indicated that maternal deaths occurred despite good geographic access to EmOC facilities (III). While most health officials considered stimulus in the form of JSY money to be essential to promote institutional births, non-government stakeholders criticised JSY as an easy way of addressing basic developmental issues and emphasised the need for improvements to health services, instead. Supply-side constraints and poor care quality were cited as key challenges to programme success, also several implementation challenges were cited (IV).Conclusions: Although there was a sharp increase in coverage and a decline in institutional delivery care inequalities following the introduction of JSY, the availability of critical care is still poor. CCT programmes to increase service utilization need to be essentially supported by the provision of quality health care services, in order to achieve their intended impacts on health outcomes.
|
|
| 8. |
- Sahlén, Klas-Göran, 1957-
(författare)
-
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure : preventive home visits among healthy seniors
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis is to contribute to existing knowledge. If the knowledge is not useful in building society it has limited value. In order to be a tool for decision-makers, Preventive Home Visits (PHVs) are described and discussed according to a realist synthesis approach. The premise of this approach is that a single trial cannot tell the whole story and that understanding theoutcome pattern is much more important than seeking regularities in results across different trials. In order to understand the o utcome pattern, the PHV strategy in Nordmaling is examined against other trials and scientific work, and also in grey literature such as reports and workingpapers. An increasing population of seniors means that resources for health and elderly care are being scrutinised in order to achieve the best possible health for the money invested. PHVs represent one strategy that attempts to promote health among independent seniors. This thesis is a multidisciplinary study aiming to gain knowledge about the effects of PHVs and to understand the mechanisms of importance when implementing this particular strategy. The point of departure is a study conducted in Nordmaling in the north of Sweden among healthy seniors aged 75 years and over. The study, conducted as a controlled trial during 2000 and 2001, showed a decrease in mortality as well as the utilisation of care, and an improvement in indicators of perceived health. Cost analyses showed significant savings for the municipality following a reduction in the use of home help. These and other savings combined with costs of the intervention were related to saved life years and used to conduct health economic analyses. Medical and social records from the primary health centre and the municipality, along with official registers provided information for modelling health economic analyses from a lifetime perspective. Results showed that the costs of PHVs were less than 10 000 Euros per gained life year, against an acceptable level of cost effectiveness of 50 000 Euros. Using a shorter time perspective, the result was even more favourable for PHVs. It was evident that the time window used in the analyses, the normative choice of including future healthcare costs or not, and how to handle the value of the seniors’ production were important factors in determining the results. Two years after the trial, in-depth interviews were conducted with 5 seniors who had experienced PHVs, in order to gain understanding of the outcome of the PHV trial in Nordmaling. Participants were selected with respect to their health and how they responded to advice given during the PHV trial. Grounded Theory was used to analyse the interviews. Seniors who used autonomous coping strategies in everyday life gained less from PHVs than other seniors. All participants could benefit from PHVs, but in order for these to be successful it was important for the home visitor to be professional and to understand how the different coping strategies of seniors worked. Taken together, the different aspects of this study raised normative questions that are discussed in this thesis. One, whether the production of seniors has any monetary value in health economic analyses conducted from a societal perspective, was addressed in a smaller diary study where 23 seniors were asked to keep a diary in order to identify everything they did over a oneweek period. It was evident that most of the respondents “produced” a lot, however the production of seniors is rarely taken into account in health economic analyses. The concept of “senior production” includes both the market value of what seniors do, as well as the value of what society can avoid doing if the seniors are independent and healthy.
|
|
| 9. |
- Sjöström, Malin, 1973-
(författare)
-
Internet-based treatment of stress urinary incontinence : treatment outcome, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness
- 2014
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing, or on exertion. It affects 10-35% of women, and can impair quality of life (QOL). First-line treatment is pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). However, access barriers and embarrassment may prevent women from seeking care. There is a need for new, easily accessible ways to provide treatment.Aim To evaluate the treatment outcome, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness of an Internet- based treatment programme for SUI.Methods We recruited 250 community-dwelling women aged 18-70 years, with SUI ≥1/week via our website. Participants were randomised to 3 months of PFMT with either an Internet-based programme (n=124), or a programme sent by post (n=126). We had no-face-to face contact with the participants, but the Internet group received individually tailored e-mail support from an urotherapist. Treatment outcome was evaluated after 4 months with intention-to-treat analysis. After treatment, we telephoned a strategic selection of participants (Internet n=13, postal n=8) to interview them about their experiences, and analysed the results according to grounded theory principles. We also performed a cost-utility analysis with a 1-year societal perspective, comparing the treatment programmes with each other and with a no-treatment alternative. To scrutinize our measure of QOL, we performed a reliability study of the ICIQ-LUTSqol questionnaire.Results Participants in both intervention groups achieved highly significant improvements (p<0.001) with large effect sizes (>0.8) in the primary outcomes symptom score (ICIQ-UI SF: mean change Internet 3.4 [SD 3.4], postal 2.9 [3.1]), and condition-specific QOL (ICIQ-LUTSqol: mean change Internet 4.8 [SD 6.1], postal 4.6 [SD 6.7]); however, the differences between the groups were not significant. Compared with the postal group, more participants in the Internet group perceived they were much or very much improved after treatment (40.9%, vs. 26.5%, p=0.01), reduced their use of incontinence aids (59.5% vs. 41.4%, p=0.02), and indicated satisfaction with the treatment programme (84.8% vs. 62.9%, p<0.001).Results from the interviews fell into three categories: about life with SUI and barriers to seeking care; about the treatments and the patient-provider relationship; about the sense of empowerment many women experienced. A core category emerged: “Acknowledged but not exposed.”The extra cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained through use of the Internet-based programme compared with the postal programme was €200. The extra cost per QALY for the Internet-based programme compared with no treatment was €30,935.The condition-specific questionnaire ICIQ-LUTSqol is reliable in women with SUI, with high degrees of agreement between overall scores (Intraclass correlation coefficient 0.95, p<0.001).Conclusion Internet-based treatment for SUI is a new, effective, and patient-appreciated treatment alternative, which can increase access to care in a sustainable way.
|
|
| 10. |
- Sjöström, Olle, 1973-
(författare)
-
Risk and survival for colorectal cancer in northern Sweden : sociodemographic factors and surveillance programs
- 2019
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) – i.e., cancer in the colon or rectum – is one of the most common cancers both globally and in Sweden. The risk for CRC is mainly related to age, heredity, and life-style risk factors. Previous studies have also demonstrated that individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES), living alone, or far from care facilities may have a higher risk for CRC or a worse outcome. In contrast to life-style or sociodemographic-associated risks, an inherited risk for CRC is difficult to modify. However, colonoscopic surveillance programs can be help prevent CRC in families with a known hereditary risk.The Northern Health Care Region (northern Sweden) is the most sparsely populated region in Sweden, and travel distances to care can be long. The population in Northern Sweden is on average older and has lower SES compared with the rest of the country. The impact of these sociodemographic differences on CRC in northern Sweden is not well known. AimThis thesis analyses CRC in a northern Sweden setting with regards to incidence, survival, and associated sociodemographic risk factors, including prevention for individuals with increased hereditary risk.MethodsPapers I and II, cohort studies from the Risk North database, link individual data from health care registers to other sociodemographic registers. In Paper I, the incidence, mortality, and survival for all CRC cases in northern Sweden were compared with the rest of Sweden for the period 2007-2013. Uni- and multivariable Cox regression analysis were used to assess the impact of sociodemographic factors and tumour stage on survival by calculating hazard ratios (HR). In Paper II, we analysed any association between travel time to care and CRC survival in northern Sweden during 2007-2013 using the same type of Cox regression analysis. Papers III and IV are based on a cohort of individuals with a family history of CRC, prospectively recorded from 1995 to 2012 in the colonoscopic surveillance register at the Cancer Prevention Clinic at Umeå University Hospital. In Paper III, we evaluated the cancer preventive effect of the performed colonoscopic surveillance. Observed cases of CRC were compared to a cohort estimate of cases without surveillance. Compliance with surveillance and colonoscopic quality was also analysed. In Paper IV, we examined the cost-effectiveness of the colonoscopic surveillance program in Paper III. A cost-utility analysis with a societal perspective was used and the stability of the results was tested in a sensitivity analysis. ResultsThe age-adjusted incidence in colon cancer was 12.7% lower in northern compared to southern Sweden or 35.9/100 000 vs. 41.1/100 000 person years (p < 0.01). For rectal cancer, the incidence was 10.5% lower in the north (17.6 vs. 19.7 p <0.01). In subgroup analysis, the largest difference in incidence between northern and southern Sweden was found among individuals > 79 years age (colon - 190 vs. 237 ≈ 19.6%, rectal 72.4 vs. 88.0 ≈ 17.7%). For all of Sweden, the incidence in colorectal cancer was higher in males, individuals with lower SES, or individuals living alone. In univariable analyses of survival (all-cause and cause-specific) for colon and rectal cancer patients in all of Sweden, patients with high SES or co-habiting had a significantly better outcome compared to patients with low SES or living alone. HR for death ranged from 0.60 to 0.85 in the better-favoured risk group. No differences in colon or rectal cancer survival between northern and southern Sweden were demonstrated in the univariable analysis. However, in multivariable survival analysis, all-cause survival for colon cancer patients was better in southern Sweden (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.86 – 0.97). For cause-specific survival for colon cancer or in any analysis for rectal cancer, no differences between northern and southern Sweden were demonstrated. In analysis of travel time, no association between travel time and survival was found. In the evaluation of the colonoscopic surveillance programme, one case of CRC was observed, compared to 9.5-10.5 expected cases. Standardised Incidence Ratio (SIR) between observed and expected cases of CRC was 0.10 (CI 95% 0.0012–0.53) to 0.11 (CI 95% 0.0014–0.59. The compliance to the surveillance program was 90%. The adenoma detection rate was 14%, and 10% of the examinations were incomplete. In the cost-utility analysis, the net cost for surveillance was 233 038 €, while saving 64.8 Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) compared to non-surveillance. The resulting Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) was 3596 €/QALY, ranging from -4620 €/QALY in the best-case scenario to 33 779 € /QALY in the worst-case scenario.ConclusionThe incidence of CRC was lower in northern Sweden and most evident in the elderly, raising questions on differences in life-style between northern and southern Sweden in the past. There were considerable sociodemographic disparities in CRC survival in Sweden, including a lower all-cause survival for colon cancer patients in the north. In this study, travel time to care in northern Sweden did not affect survival and the lower all-cause survival in northern Sweden cannot be fully explained. The colonoscopic surveillance of families in northern Sweden with inherited risk for CRC had a good cancer preventive effect, including a high cost-effectiveness. The reasons for the good effect may be high compliance, since the quality of the colonoscopies was moderate.
|
|
