The outcome of IHE initiatives is providing better information for developing health policy and best medical practices. IHE disseminates information in many ways. In addition to publications in peer-reviewed journals, IHE produces books and a variety of reports synthesizing information in a particular field.
| Thanh Nguyen, Ilke Akpinar, Jennifer Gratrix, Sabrina Plitt, Petra Smyczek, Ron Read, Philip Jacobs, Tom Wong, Ameeta E Singh
Adding universal rectal screening to urogenital screening should positively impact rectal Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) incidence in affected populations. A dynamic Markov model was used to evaluate costs and outcomes of three rectal CT screening strategies among women attending sexually transmitted infection clinics in Alberta, Canada: universal urogenital-only screening (UG-only),…
| Anderson Chuck, Thanh Nguyen, James Wesenberg, Rhada Chari, Robert Wilson, Selikke Janes-Kelley
Objectives: In 2006, the Alberta Ministry of Health issued a policy to implement fetal fibronectin (fFN) testing as a publicly funded service for pregnant women. The goals were to reduce maternity health care utilization and unnecessary treatment, which would result in cost-savings for the health system by more accurately diagnosing false preterm labour. We conducted a post-policy…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This STE report examines the safety, screening accuracy, therapeutic efficacy/effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, budget impact, and health system readiness of newborn screening for seven conditions (galactosemia, tyrosinemia type I, homocystinuria, sickle cell anemia, sickle…
Written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report provides an assessment of how the adoption of fFN testing in Alberta impacted the clinical management of preterm labour and healty system resources. This was also an opportunity to retroactively use the Post Policy Implementation Framework to evaluate a specific policy developed within…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report examines the safety, screening accuracy, therapeutic efficacy, patient outcomes and cost effectiveness of first trimester Quad (1T-Quad) +/- NT and NIPT screening for fetal trisomies. Section Authors: Section One – Technology Effectiveness and Safety: Ken Bond,…
Summary of Systematic Reviews, Primary Studies, and Evidence-based Guidelines. The following research questions were addressed in this review: What are the clinical effects of a universal screening strategy for ARO carriage when compared with no screening? What are the clinical effects of a universal screening strategy for ARO carriage when compared with targeted screening (screening…
Antibiotic-Resistant Organisms (AROs) are a serious health problem, though they are more prevalent in some settings than others. We were asked to make findings and develop recommendations on how to address surveillance of and screening for AROs in acute care hospitals. This consensus statement addresses these requests. However, confining the discussion and recommendations to hospitals…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report examines the potential role of low dose computed tomography (LDCT) in screening for lung cancer in adults aged 50 years or older in Alberta. Section Authors: Section One – Social and System Demographics Analysis: Bing Guo, Dagmara Chojecki Section Two –…
Transcutaneous Bilirubinometry for the Screening of Hyperbilirubinemia in Neonates ≥35 Weeks’ Gestation This report was prepared for Alberta Health Services (AHS) and focuses on the published evidence about the safety, test accuracy, and clinical impact of the use of transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) test for the screening of significant hyperbilirubinemia in term or late…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report performs an evaluation of the scientific evidence on the safety, performance, and effectiveness of universal and targeted preschool hearing screening (PHS) to inform the Infant and Preschool Screening Framework being developed by the Community and Public Health (CPH)…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This review focused on the best evidence available on the use of PSVS to detect vision conditions in asymptomatic preschool children (aged from birth to 6 years; not necessarily considered at risk for developing visual impairment) to determine the safety and efficacy/effectiveness…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report is an update of a 2007 report. Permanent congenital hearing impairment/loss (PCHI/PCHL) is one of the most common congenital anomalies found at birth which can lead to delays and deficits in the development of speech, language, cognition, and learning, as well as…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report provides an epidemiological profile of fetal aneuploidy and open neural tube defects (ONTD); describes the patterns of care, utilization trends, and factors affecting the provision of first and second trimester screening (FASTs) services for fetal aneuploidy and…
The objective of this report is to assess research evidence on the safety and prognostic value of exercise testing (including electrocardiogram exercise testing and cardiopulmonary exercise testing) for the prediction of cardiac events in patients with chronic diseases including diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and arthritis. Information Specialist: Trish…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report is about testing for Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and can also cause cervical cancer. Cervical screening aims to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality by detecting precancerous lesions early. Until…
A successful screening program for cystic fibrosis (CF) refers to the ability of the program to appropriately identify and refer for care those with CF, while meeting the needs of those who do not have CF, particularly those infants identified by the screening program as carriers (individuals unaffected by CF but have a mutation in one of their CFTR genes). Some measures of success…
The use of the automated auditory brainstem response and otoacoustic emissions tests for newborn hearing screening. Permanent congenital hearing impairment/loss (PCHI) is one of the most common congenital anomalies found at birth which can be expected to lead to delays and deficits in the development of speech, language, cognition and learning, as well as secondary effects on the…
Institute of Health Economics Working Paper WP 06-02. The purpose of this report is to examine the economic implications for the province if a supplement to the fee schedule were allowed for vacuum-assisted biopsies. NOTE: In 2006 the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research HTA unit moved to IHE. Documents produced in and prior to 2006 have different formats; the format…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report #21. The three objectives of this assessment are to determine the available scientific evidence on: the effective time interval for mammography screening in asymptomatic women aged 50 to 69 years; the effective screening interval in asymptomatic women between the ages of 40 and 49 years; and the mortality rate…
The outcome of IHE initiatives is providing better information for developing health policy and best medical practices. IHE disseminates information in many ways. In addition to publications in peer-reviewed journals, IHE produces books and a variety of reports synthesizing information in a particular field.