This report is from an Alberta Strategic Clinical Networks (SCN) exchange meeting with Mr. Neil Fraser. This event brought together SCNs and related health system stakeholders, and a leader in the Canadian medical technology industry, and recent member of a Federal Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation. The meeting had the objectives to help the SCNs to understand the Advisory…
Background: Significant gaps in the evidence base on costs in rural communities in Canada and elsewhere are reported in the literature, particularly regarding costs to families. However, it remains unclear whether the costs related to all resources used by palliative care patients in rural areas differ to those resources used in urban areas.
The Institute of Health Economics held a roundtable on June 4, 2015, entitled Innovative Funding Models: Kidney Care Policy Options for the Future, to identify and discuss key issues in kidney care policy options. Prior to the roundtable, an Innovative Funding Models: Kidney Care Policy Options for the Future Steering Committee teleconference refined project objectives, and the…
The Institute of Health Economics (IHE), in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd./Ltée held an invitational forum on October 3, 2015, in Edmonton, Alberta. The purpose of this discussion was to bring together multiple stakeholders from across Canada to investigate the current state of evidence and information regarding idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and…
Objective: In this study, we estimate the impact of the new PCV13 immunization program on the burden of disease and related healthcare costs in Alberta.
OBJECTIVES: To examine differences in health services utilization (HSU) costs in the first year of life between low birth weight (LBW) and normal birth weight (NBW) infants, identify maternal and child characteristics associated with HSU costs, and estimate annual HSU cost of LBW infants for the province of Alberta, Canada.
Objective: Because of a lack of a control group, a case-series study is considered one of the weaker study designs from which to obtain evidence on treatment effectiveness. Under certain circumstances, however, this is the only available evidence to inform health-care decisions. This study's intent was to develop and validate a quality appraisal checklist specifically for…
Objective: To increase the use of evidence-informed approaches to diagnosis, investigation, and treatment of headache for patients in primary care.
Note: This is an Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program related publication.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) has recently established a number of Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs) in the province around specific health care topics (e.g., Cardiovascular Health & Stroke) and within areas where care is delivered (e.g., Surgery). The SCNs are the engines of innovation in the health system and have a mandate to find new and innovative ways of delivering care…
We reviewed literature to estimate the costs of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the Canadian Criminal Justice System (CJS), and to update the total costs of FASD in Canada. The results suggest FASD is costlier than previous estimates. The costs of FASD associated with the CJS are estimated at $3.9 billion a year, with $1.2 billion for police, $0.4 billion for court,…
A perceived gap exists in how well Canadian health technology assessment (HTA) producers are supporting the use of their HTAs by decision-makers. The authors propose that the newly released HTA Database Canadian search interface incorporate structured decision-relevant summaries of HTAs that would be developed by participating Canadian HTA organizations. The registry would…
Objectives: Economic evaluations, although not formally used in purchasing decisions for medical devices in Canada, are still being conducted and published. The aim of this study was to examine the way that prices have been included in Canadian economic evaluations of medical devices.
Economic surveillance and economic assessments are important sources of information to help administrators and policy makers to track current trends and evaluate policies and care patterns. The Institute of Health Economics, in partnership with Alberta Health, held a two-day Costing Methods Workshop which helped to review costing practices by bringing together economists and other…
The Federal Minister of Health, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, announced the creation of the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation (Panel) on June 24, 2014, to examine innovative health care ideas and approaches that exist in Canada and internationally. The Panel’s mandate is to identify promising innovations, here and internationally, which could help Canada reduce growth…
The federal Minister of Health, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, announced the creation of the Advisory Panel on Healthcare Innovation (Panel) on June 24, 2014, to examine innovative health care ideas and approaches that exist in Canada and internationally. The Panel’s mandate is to identify promising innovations, here and internationally, which could help Canada reduce growth…
Objectives: To assess and compare the measurement properties (ie, validity, reliability, responsiveness) and the quality of the evidence of presenteeism instruments.
Abstract: Parent-Child Assistance Program (P-CAP) is a 3-year home visitation/harm reduction intervention to prevent alcohol exposed births, thereby births with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, among high-risk women. This article used a decision analytic modelling technique to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and the net monetary benefit of the P-CAP…
Abstract: Alberta's Primary Care Networks (PCNs) bring together family physicians and other health professionals to provide local, comprehensive, and readily accessible primary care services to patients. The Edmonton North PCN, one of the largest in the province, piloted the Resource in Clinic (RIC) Program with objectives to increase efficiencies in the use of physician…
Rationale, aims and objectives: The Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument is a generic tool for assessing guideline quality. This feasibility study aimed to reduce the ambiguity and subjectivity associated with AGREE item scoring, and to augment the tool's capacity to differentiate between good- and poor-quality guidelines. Note: This is an Alberta…
Les estimations indiquent que un canadien sur trois aura un problème de santé mentale durant sa vie. Peu de canadiens réalisent l’impact que la mauvaise santé mentale a sur les familles, les communautés, les systèmes de santé et l’économie. La santé mentale est aussi importante que la santé physique…
Background: Although many programs targeting fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are implemented, the province of Alberta is still lacking information on costs of FASD.
Objectives: To estimate the costs of FASD in Alberta based on available US and Canadian research on costs of FASD, and Alberta data.