This overview report provides a summary of the published information on the oxygen therapy issues studied in the past 10 years in the acute care settings. The report includes a summary of audit studies that aimed to address appropriate/inappropriate use of oxygen, and explores the safety and quality issues identified in the literature about oxygen prescription, administration,…
Controlling Health Care Costs – Wisely is the 16th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues.
This IHE Invitational Forum provided the perspective of international, national, and Alberta speakers and panellists who described the biosimilar reimbursement approach taken and outcomes achieved by other jurisdictions, guiding principles and policy options for Alberta, and key performance indicators and targets for reimbursement policy going forward.
High Needs & High Cost Patients in Healthcare – How do we improve outcomes for these patients? is the 15th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues.
This guide has been developed by the information specialists at the Institute of Health Economics in Edmonton Alberta and is intended to facilitate searching for health technology assessments (HTAs) or systematic reviews by providing the list of current and reliable internet-based resources that we regularly use in our work. We have tried as much as possible to match this guide…
On April 25th, The Institute of Health Economics (IHE), in partnership with the Canadian Foundation for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPFF) and supported by an unrestricted grant from Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. (BI), held a national, multi-stakeholder roundtable forum to discuss policy recommendations on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) care.
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…
The IHE/O’Brien Physicians as Stewards of Resources: Roles, Responsibilities and Remuneration Policy Forum aims to inform decision-making regarding the fiscal sustainability of the provincial healthcare system, with a specific focus on physicians as stewards of public resources. The forum, which will also be attended by Health Minister Sarah Hoffman as lunch keynote speaker,…
Emceed by Tom Feasby, the University of Calgary’s Dean of Medicine, this third session considered the following theme: Maximizing Health System Performance: Cost Containment and Improved Efficiency. Speakers from all sectors provided a range of perspectives on Cost Containment and Improved Efficiency.
Alcohol can hurt the brain and body of an unborn baby and cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a serious lifelong condition that impacts both the individual and their family. A child with FASD becomes an adult with FASD, facing birth defects, developmental and learning delays and social, educational, and employment challenges. The IHE Consensus Development Conference on…
The Institute of Health Economics (IHE) Innovation Forum series reflects one of the key goals of the Institute to promote open debate and dialogue on important issues in the health care system among academia, government, health service executives and industry. The Institute believes that the significant challenges facing the health system will only be addressed if all partners…
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…
This report provides information regarding the impact of physician reimbursement models on five dimensions specified in the Provincial Alternate Relationship Plan Program Evaluation. The impact of physician reimbursement models were assessed on the following five dimensions: Health service utilization Access to care Quality of services Patient satisfaction Physician satisfaction…
The use of the term “comparative effectiveness” (CE) has attracted considerable attention, particularly in the United States. This booklet examines the concept of CE and its relationship to other assessment frameworks.
The purpose of this report is to advance the area of workplace mental health through a comprehensive synthesis of published research evidence. More specifically, this report examines the evidence on the effectiveness of organizational-level interventions for the prevention of stress in the workplace for adult employees without diagnosed mental illness. The main effectiveness outcomes…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report #34. This report reviews the literature on assessment of telecardiology, considering applications in pediatric care, hospital or clinic use for adults, emergency care, and home care. Information Specialist: Seana Collins NOTE: In 2006 the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research HTA unit moved to IHE. Documents…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Initiative #15. This paper summarizes the first steps in a research program designed to inform technology assessment and decision-making associated with radiotherapy (treatment of cancer with ionizing radiation) at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC) in Calgary, Alberta. NOTE: In 2006 the Alberta Heritage Foundation for…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report. In this systematic review, we have critically reviewed the literature addressing the social, legal and ethical issues related to genetic testing for cancer susceptibility, synthesized current information and identified existing gaps in knowledge. We believe the review will prove valuable to policy- and decision-makers…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report #33. This report is a systematic review and critical appraisal of the evidence on the use of ovulation induction (OI) drug therapy to manage anovulatory infertility associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women of reproductive age. The aim was to provide the current published scientific evidence about…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Initiative #13. Appraising the quality of evidence is an important, yet difficult task, complicated by the consideration of disparate evidence. Quality checklists for assessing RCTs abound, yet it is acknowledged that even within this single study the reliability, validity, feasibility and utility of the various tools…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report #32. The aim of this report was to critically appraise and synthesise the published evidence regarding the short- and long-term efficacy/effectiveness of surgical techniques for patients with deep venous incompetence, and attendant skin changes/ulceration, that is refractory to standard care. Information Specialist:…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report #31. This report was prepared in response to a request from Alberta Health and Wellness (AHW) for information about the use of islet cell transplantation for patients with type 1 diabetes. AHW was specifically interested in the current status of islet cell transplantation using the Edmonton protocol for a sub-population…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report #28. This report provides an overview of the evidence from systematic reviews on the effectiveness of suicide prevention strategies. 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 was determined…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) HTA Report #30. Using the 1996 National Population Health survey data, this report provides an estimate of the prevalence of chronic pain (CP) among Albertans. It was estimated that 11.2% of Albertans suffer some level of CP and about 2.3% suffer from severe CP. As the proportion of individuals suffering from CP increases…