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.
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| Baruch Levi, Stefanie Tan, Husayn Marini, Sara Allin
Emergency and urgent care systems in high-income countries face major challenges related to overcrowding, long wait times, and rising demand. Internationally, and across Canada, healthcare systems have experimented with various policies to promote access to health services for unplanned acute conditions while reducing avoidable visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs). This…
| Stefanie Tan, Julie Farmer, Monika Roerig, Sara Allin
Internationally and across Canada, governments have explored varied approaches to reforming the governance and financing of primary care with the aim of improving access, efficiency, effectiveness, and patient experiences in the health system. This rapid review prepared for the Institute of Health Economics by the North American Observatory on Health Systems and Policies presents…
This report identifies extreme heat adaptation strategies that might be feasibly implemented before and during summer 2022, with a focus on vulnerable populations. Information for this report was collected through a rapid review of published and grey literature and summarizes the current evidence on strategy effectiveness and cost, as well as factors influencing implementation…
Long COVID has no commonly accepted case definition, but is characterized generally as the persistence of any COVID-19 symptoms past the typical convalescence period. Initial reports are emerging of significant ongoing symptom burden for some COVID-19 cases, but the prevalence and profile of these long-term cases, and the potential need for or utilization of community-based supports…
| Lindsey Warkentin, Erica Wright, Bing Guo, Ken Bond
This Rapid Review assesses the evidence on the rate of COVID-19 transmission from children to children or adults compared with the rate of transmission from adults to others, and the rate of COVID-19 infection in children compared with the rate in adults, to support return-to-school decision making. Twenty-two articles were included in the review. Based on a rapid assessment of…
| Lindsey Warkentin, Erica Wright, Bing Guo, Ken Bond
Face mask use within schools has been suggested as a COVID-19 risk mitigation strategy, but the effectiveness of mask use as protection against COVID-19 transmission and infection in a school setting is currently unknown. This Rapid Review assesses the evidence on the impact of community mask use on the susceptibility to and transmission of COVID-19, and how mask use compliance…
Primary care services after hours in Alberta are limited, and, as a result, emergency departments have long wait times and overcrowding as they accommodate a greater number of low-acuity conditions. In recent decades, various urgent care models have been established to fill the gap between emergency and primary care, with the aim of providing unscheduled services for urgent but…
On November 23rd in Calgary and November 30th in Edmonton, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) hosted an educational workshop designed to support both early and late stage organizations in developing an understanding of when, where, and how health economics can be used to strengthen product and business planning, and satisfy requirements of purchasers of technology. Participants…
On October 21, 2018, Health Canada, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), the Institute of Health Economics (IHE), and the Canadian Association for Population Therapeutics (CAPT) collaborated on Defining Decision-Grade Real-World Evidence and its Role in the Canadian Context: A Design Sprint. Held as a satellite to the 2018 CAPT conference in Toronto,…
Realistic Medicine is the 18th 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 brief outlines some perspectives from the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) based on what we have heard from government, public agencies, and industry, and seeks to summarize the key areas where further clarification and deliberation could be helpful.
| Rodger Craig, Carmen Moga, Bing Guo, Dagmara Chojecki
The Institute of Health Economics (IHE) was commissioned by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society to provide a rapid update of the literature, to compare the impacts of public reporting and external benchmarking on selected outcomes, and to evaluate and describe the applicability of this body of research to non- competitive health systems, emphasizing perspectives and considerations…
On November 1st, 2017, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) hosted a pan-Canadian roundtable discussion regarding diabetes care and management in indigenous populations in Canada. This event was sponsored through an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Canada, and was developed in consultation with an advisory committee including: Mr. Mehmood Alibhai (Boehringer Ingelheim…
On November 1st, 2017, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) hosted a pan-Canadian roundtable discussion regarding diabetes care and management in indigenous populations in Canada. This event was sponsored through an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim Canada, and was developed in consultation with an advisory committee including: Mr. Mehmood Alibhai (Boehringer Ingelheim…
On October 22, 2017, in conjunction with the 2017 Annual CAPT Conference, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) and the Canadian Association for Population Therapeutics (CAPT) co-hosted the IHE/CAPT Precision Health Workshop. Precision Health (PH) has potential to provide a wide range of solutions such as enhanced R&D efficiency, earlier diagnosis and time to treatment,…
This lists all the documents/websites relevant to the guideline that are available on the IHE and TOP websites, both clinician and patient resources.
Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program
L’IHE dans votre poche 2017 – Guide de statistiques sur l’économie de la santé présente et divise les données les plus récentes en sections portant sur le fardeau économique de la maladie, les ressources en soins de santé, les comportements liés à la santé, l'état de santé, les…
This lists all the documents/websites relevant to the guideline that are available on the IHE and TOP websites, both clinician and patient resources.
Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program
IHE In Your Pocket 2017 – A Handbook of Health Economic Statistics includes the most currently available data, presented in separate sections on the economic burden of illness, health care resources, health behaviours, health status and demographics, and health system performance. IHE In Your Pocket was designed to provide a compact, comprehensive, and comparative overview…
Building a Community-Based Health System: Lessons for a Path Forward is the 17th 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 Biosimilars 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. Towards a Framework…
This symposium addressed the importance of integrated health information as a necessary foundation for improved patient and system outcomes. The focus of the symposium was to discuss the benefits and challenges of shared health information and to better understand the role that health care providers play individually and collectively in achieving more person-centred and integrated…
The Value in Health Invitational Forum provided an overview from provincial, national, and international leaders around key issues to consider and address from a system perspective when developing an approach to extract value from a complex health system. The concept of system organization for a) development of standards, b) accountability arrangements and roles, and c) approaches…
On December 12th, 2016, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) held a roundtable discussion regarding the role of real-world evidence (RWE) in decision-making in Canada, with a focus on RWE generated for pricing and reimbursement. The meeting brought together 11 representatives of key stakeholders: experts in evidence assessment, payers, and those generating RWE including academia…
This rapid report provides a summary of current evidence on the application of gainsharing shared savings strategies in healthcare systems and the barriers and facilitators related to their implementation.
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.
In October 2015, we held the first Canadian consensus discussion that led to provisional recommendations regarding special considerations for policy-making and healthcare decisionmaking for interventions in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The meeting included 11 representatives of key stakeholders: patients, care providers, and policy researchers from across…
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 rapid report has been produced in response to a request from Alberta Health to provide an update on the new published research evidence on the efficacy/effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of hysteroscopic tubal sterilization (HTS) using the Essure® system for permanent…
Alberta STE Report written under contract with the Alberta Health Technologies Decision Process (AHTDP). This report is an update of the “Technological efficacy/effectiveness analysis” (T) section of the 2014 Alberta STE report, which was an evidence assessment of the clinical effectiveness and safety of endovenous ablation interventions for symptomatic varicose veins…
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,…
Strengthening Mental Health Services for Children and Families is the 14th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues.
The purpose of this workshop was to examine COPD management in Canada through presentation of analyses and examples of system supports to action best practices to a select group of clinical leaders and relevant public sector decision makers. The group deliberated, and key themes and policy recommendations from discusssion were captured to form the basis of the final COPD Policy…
Better Information - Better Health: Accessing Health and Health-Related Data in Alberta is the 13th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues.
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…
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…
Primary Care Low Back Exam factsheet - 2006.
Extracted from the Chronic Pain Management Binder November 2005.
Link to Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program
Health System Standards: From Good Intent to Real World Application is the 12th 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 free forum for primary care clinicians was held in conjunction with the annual Accelerating Primary Care conference in Edmonton, Alberta, November 23, 2014. The forum saw three physician leaders review the latest developments in the continuously advancing field of stroke prevention and care, with a particular focus on the role of primary care. The forum was…
The purpose of this roundtable was to gather a small, select group of thought leaders to engage in informed discourse, which was summarized in a report submitted to the new federal Healthcare Innovation Advisory Panel. This roundtable, created in response to the Federal Healthcare Innovation Advisory Panel’s call for stakeholder input, was an exciting opportunity to…
The Institute of Health Economics, in collaboration with the Government of Alberta and with support from Alberta Health Services (AHS) hosted the Consensus Development Conference on Improving Mental Health Transitions in Edmonton, Alberta, from November 4 - 6, 2014.
Real World Evidence: Priority Setting for Action was an invitational roundtable discussion organized by the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) and supported by and developed in partnership with Strategy for Patient Oriented Research Support Unit (Ontario) and AstraZeneca Canada. It was held in conjunction with the annual Canadian Association for Population Therapeutics (CAPT).…
The 3-day Canadian Consensus Development Conference on Surveillance & Screening for Antimicrobial-Resistant Organisms (AROs) held in Calgary, Alberta from June 18 - 20, 2014, was the first event of its kind to look at issues in the field of AROs.
Meeting the Challenge: Dementia and Continuing Care is the 11th IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues.
IHE In Your Pocket 2014 – a handbook of health economic statistics includes the most currently available data, presented in separate sections on the economic burden of illness, health care resources, health behaviours, health status and demographics, and health system performance. IHE In Your Pocket was designed to provide a compact, comprehensive, and comparative overview…
Choosing Wisely® in Health Care: A Canadian Perspective is the tenth IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector decision-makers to address policy issues of importance in the healthcare system in Alberta, Canada, and internationally. Choosing Wisely® is an initiative of the ABIM Foundation to improve health care in the United…
IHE hosted the First International Conference on Prevention of FASD, September 23 - 25, 2013 in Edmonton, Alberta. More than 800 people were in attendance, including global experts and leaders in the health system, government, and the academic and business communities. Well-known speakers from around the world presented facts and findings from research, and described innovative…
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.
Early Childhood Development: Advancing Children’s Health is the ninth IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector decision-makers to address policy issues of importance in the healthcare system in Alberta, Canada, and internationally.
The Provincial Industry Payer Agreements in an Era of National Purchasing Strategies half-day invitational roundtable was part of the IHE's ongoing Methodology Forum series supported by the Institute of Health Economics, the Alberta government, and industry partners, AstraZeneca, Merck, and Eli Lilly. The event brought together academic experts, industry leaders and senior decision…
The Provincial Industry Payer Agreements in an Era of National Purchasing Strategies half-day invitational roundtable was part of the IHE's ongoing Methodology Forum series supported by the Institute of Health Economics, the Alberta government, and industry partners, AstraZeneca, Merck, and Eli Lilly. The event brought together academic experts, industry leaders and senior decision…
The review summarizes the current evidence on the safety, efficacy, effectiveness, and potential cost-effectiveness on the use of the BridgePoint Medical System (consisting of the CrossBoss™ catheter, Stingray™ catheter, and Stingray™ guidewire) for the recanalization of refractory coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs). The report also describes the relevant…
The Institute of Health Economics, in partnership with Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education, Alberta Health, and Eli Lilly Canada, conducted a roundtable to examine the concept of Alberta Health as a Living Laboratory. The ‘Living Laboratory’ concept builds off the recognition of the unique assets and opportunity we have in Alberta, including a single health authority…
Value for Money in the Health System was the eighth in the series of Innovation Forums. The keynote speaker, Mr. Don Drummond, Matthews Fellow and Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the School of Policy Studies at Queens University, and a former Associate Deputy Minister of Finance in the Government of Canada, as well as a former Senior Vice President and Chief Economics at TD Financial…
Stroke Update 2012 was a free forum for primary care clinicians, held in conjunction with the annual Accelerating Primary Care conference in Banff, Alberta, November 18, 2012. The forum brought together 5 physician leaders to review the current “state of the art” in the rapidly advancing field of stroke prevention and care, with an emphasis on the role of primary care.…
Social Determinants of Health is the seventh IHE Innovation Forum, a semi-annual event bringing together senior public- and private-sector experts and decision-makers to address health care policy issues.
Maximizing Health System Performance—Assisted by Evidence, Science, and Information Systems is the sixth of the IHE’s Innovation Forums, a semi-annual series brings together senior public- and private-sector decision-makers to address policy issues of importance in the healthcare system, not just in Alberta, but to all of Canada and the international community, as well.
As part of Alberta Health Services (AHS) Strategic Health Needs Assessment and Service Design 2030 project, the Institute of Health Economics was commissioned to conduct three Knowledge Exchange events. The third event – Population Health Innovations – was held May 2nd, 2011. The event was supported by Alberta Health Services in collaboration with Alberta Health and…
As part of Alberta Health Services (AHS) Strategic Health Needs Assessment and Service Design 2030 project, the Institute of Health Economics was commissioned to conduct three Knowledge Exchange events. The second event – High Performing Health Systems – was held April 15th, 2011. The event was supported by Alberta Health Services in collaboration with Alberta Health…
This one-day, invitational event engaged community experts and senior decision-makers involved in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis health policy in Canada in round-table discussions. Integrated Knowledge Exchange in health requires communities, researchers, and policy-makers utilize evidence from all sources in a culturally relevant way.
This one-day, invitational event engaged community experts and senior decision-makers involved in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis health policy in Canada in round-table discussions. Integrated Knowledge Exchange in health requires communities, researchers, and policy-makers utilize evidence from all sources in a culturally relevant way.
A National Roundtable Discussion on Innovative Approaches to Industry-Payor Agreements took place on April 3th, 2011 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia in association with the annual meeting of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). This one-day invitational event engaged experts, industry leaders and senior decision makers…
The purpose of this paper is to provide background information on "game changing innovations" in support of the February 24, 2011 conference Becoming the Best: Building a Sustainable Health System – Game Changing Health Innovations. It was developed by the Institute of Health Economics and funded by Alberta Health Services (AHS) as part of a future focused analysis of the…
As part of Alberta Health Services (AHS) Strategic Health Needs Assessment and Service Design 2030 project, the Institute of Health Economics was commissioned to conduct three Knowledge Exchange events. The first of the Knowledge Exchange events – Becoming the Best: Building Sustainability – Game Changing Health Innovations – was held on February 24th, 2011.
On October 26 & 27, 2010, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) conducted an invitational workshop on the optimal use of diagnostic imaging (CT and MRI) based on the recommendations from the low back pain guideline.
Diagnostic Imaging Workshop – as part of the Alberta Ambassador Guideline Adaptation Program
Advancements in methodological approaches in the evaluation of health technologies are important for ensuring ongoing improvement in the comprehensiveness and quality of assessments. On September 23 and 24th, 2010, The Institute of Health Economics (IHE) conducted an invitational methodology forum addressing the economic evaluation of medicines in Canada. Delegates from academia,…
IHE In Your Pocket 2010 provides current health economic statistics, presented in separate sections on health care resources, health behaviours, health status and demographics, and health system performance.
To access the IHE PowerPoint chartpack, please click the following link: IHE PowerPoint Slides.
In order to better understand Mental Health & Addictions in the Workplace, the PNWER Health Care Working Group hosted a half day session in conjunction with the annual PNWER summit. This session brought together key policy experts, decision makers, clinicians, and business leaders, and provided the opportunity for dialogue around this issue.
There is a wealth of theoretical and real-world evidence on the impacts of physician payment system design on physician behavior and health system performance. In order to bring some of that knowledge to Alberta the Institute of Health Economics (IHE) conducted, on behalf of Alberta Health and Wellness, a 1 and ½ day Provider Funding: Performance, Accountability, and Incentives…
The Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth Over the Internet: A Rapid Review of the Scientific Literature report examines the research evidence on the frequency, effects, risk factors of sexual exploitation of children and youth over the Internet. The report also provides information on available resources in Alberta and Canada regarding Internet safety and prevention of child…
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…
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…
The Institute of Health Economics (IHE), in collaboration with the Alberta Depression Initiative Project, Alberta Health and Wellness, the Alberta Mental Health Board and the Mental Health Commission of Canada organized a Consensus development conference on Depression in Adults: How to Improve Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment in Calgary, Alberta in October 2008. The main objective…
IHE In Your Pocket (IHE IYP) presents a bird’s eye view of the economic aspects of the Canadian healthcare system with international comparisons. IHE IYP 2008 has been reorganized and expanded, and includes the most currently available data. Topics are presented related to resources first, addressing in turn economic burden of illness, expenditures, physical resources, prices,…
This rapid assessment addressed a request to assess the published research evidence on how the Actim™ Partus test compares to the TliIQ® System in terms of diagnostic accuracy, clinical utility, and costs when added to preterm labour management in symptomatic women with intact membranes.
Air ambulance transportation with capabilities to provide advanced life support. The objective of this report is to present and synthesize the available published research evidence on the efficacy/effectiveness, safety, and efficiency of air ambulance transportation (helicopters) with on-board capabilities of advanced life support (ALS). The intent is to use this evidence to inform…
Risk assessment tools for predicting recidivism of spousal violence. The objective of this report is to assess the research evidence on the inter-rater reliability and predictive validity of various risk assessment instruments in predicting male-to-female spousal violence recidivism and lethality in those males who had contact with the police system. Information Specialist: Liz…
This booklet brings together information that demonstrates the burden of mental illness and where Canada’s mental health system ranks among other developed countries. It also provides important consolidated information on key indicators that depict the state of our mental health system.
World In Your Pocket - A Handbook of International Health Economic Statistics includes the most current available data, presented in separate sections on health status, health care costs, health resources, health resources, health resource utilization, and health system performance.
| Philip Jacobs, Rita Yim, Arto Ohinmaa, Janice Varney, Anita Hanrahan, Joy Loewen, Laura Mashinter, Bev Baptiste, Margaret Russell
This booklet is a compendium of existing statistics related to the economic aspect of childhood immunizations in Canada. It brings together, in one document, data obtained from a wide range of sources. It covers topics related to the economic and epidemiological burden of childhood diseases, resources used, and system performance from provincial, national, and international viewpoints.
The Institute of Health Economics (IHE) co-hosted this Calgary conference in April 2007 to consult experts on factors contributing to the low birth weight rate in Alberta, to develop a consensus on the relevant factors, and to tailor interventions to address the contributing factors. The consensus statement on how to prevent low birth weight was developed to inform patients, health…
This Mental Health Economic Statistics booklet brings together information that demonstrates the burden of mental illness and where Canada’s mental health system ranks among other developed countries. Mental Health Economic Statistics provides important consolidated information on key indicators that depict the state of our mental health system. NOTE: In 2006 the Alberta…
This is the first edition of IHE In Your Pocket. This chart book is designed to be an easy reference guide to indicators of Canadian health care economic performance. Economic is broadly defined to include both means (personal and formal resources) and ends (health outcomes). The chart book is intended to provide the user with a concise, accessible, and reasonably comprehensive…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Information Paper #26. The aim of this study was to determine whether laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is a safe and effective procedure compared with open and/or laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty (LVBG), especially in the longer term (> or = five…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Information Paper #24. The objective of this paper is to present the current evidence on the efficacy/effectiveness and safety of celeoxib (Celebrex®) for the treatment of pain in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Information Specialist: Seana Collins NOTE: In 2006 the Alberta Heritage Foundation…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Information Paper #21. The objective of this report is to evaluate the published evidence on the safety, efficacy, and current status of living donor liver transplantation for the treatment of end stage liver disease in children. Information Specialist: Leigh-Ann Topfer NOTE: In 2006 the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical…
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Information Paper #19. The objective of this report was to conduct a systematic review of the published research on the use of sclerotherapy to manage varicose veins of the legs. The intent of this paper was to answer the following questions: Is sclerotherapy effective for varicose veins of the legs and if so, is one approach…