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Lung Cancer Screening in Risk Groups: A Review-Update of the Economic Evidence (Part II)
Recent evidence on the effectiveness of lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography (LDCT), such as the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) or the Dutch-Belgian Randomized Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NELSON), seems to confirm a potential relative lung cancer mortality reduction (although not in overall mortality) from the LDCT-screening. Since then, a considerable body of new evidence also emerged on the cost-effectiveness of LDCT-screening for lung cancer. In this context, the present systematic review aimed to provide an update of the evidence on the cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and budget impact of LDCT lung cancer screening in adult persons without confirmed or suspected lung cancer but at elevated risk, with a special focus on the health economic methodologies.
Publication: HTA Project Report No. 132b: https://eprints.aihta.at/1283
Contact: Christian Ernst Heinrich Boehler, Sarah Wolf
Lung cancer screening in risk groups
Lung cancer is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer in the European Union. Risk factors for lung cancer include smoking in particular, family history, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and occupational or environmental exposure to radon, asbestos or fine particles. Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) can be used for lung cancer screening, which is increasingly offered in routine clinical practice. Current evidence shows that screening for lung cancer with LDCT in (former) heavy smokers probably reduces lung cancer mortality, but results in little or no difference in overall mortality, compared with no screening.
Publication: HTA Project report No. 132a: http://eprints.aihta.at/1282/
Contact: Claudia Wild
Genetic Testing in the Context of Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Management
Molecular genetic diagnostics (GDx) is an increasingly important tool in the so-called "precision medicine" and personalised health care, including organised screening programs. For a structured and controlled implementation of GDx, organisational-regulatory and ethical aspects, as well as far-reaching economic effects have to be considered in addition to efficacy and safety concerns.
The aim of the present report was to illustrate the general complexity of such (predictive) diagnostic tests and systematic test strategies using the example of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).
Publication: HTA Project report No. 130: http://eprints.aihta.at/1281/
Contact: Melanie Walter, Christoph Strohmaier
Effectiveness of Music Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Dementia, Depression, Insomnia and Schizophrenia
In Vienna, in 1958, for the very first time in Europe, the institutionalisation process started with founding the Austrian Society for the Promotion of Music Medical Science. One year later, the first training course in Europe was established. Today, music therapy is understood as an expression promoting, scientific-artistic-creative and independent form of treatment using active and receptive music therapeutic methods. In an update of Cochrane Reviews, the effectiveness and applied methods of music therapy in autism, dementia, depression, sleep disorder and schizophrenia were examined. The results suggest that music therapy can help patients in terms of physical and psychosocial aspects.
Publication: HTA Projektbericht No. 133: http://eprints.aihta.at/1280/
Contact: Lucia Gassner
Framework for reimbursement decisions of digital health technologies (mHealth) and its (retrospective) application on selected examples
Digital health applications have the potential to improve disease monitoring and management. For the majority of available digital health applications, however, there is little evidence of (medical, organizational or economic) benefit. The thorough evaluation of a digital health application requires additional technology-specific domains. Decision-makers are thus faced with new challenges in the evaluation of these applications.
The aim of this report was to provide guidance to funding institutions and manufacturers as to what evidence is expected for which type of digital health application. For this purpose, the applicability of currently available assessment frameworks for digital health applications was examined.
Publication: HTA Projektbericht No. 134: https://eprints.aihta.at/1279
Contact: Reinhard Jeindl, Claudia Wild
Horizon Scanning in Oncology - Fact Sheets
We are pleased to introduce our three new HSO Fact Sheets.
Fact Sheet No. 25 (October 2020)
Blinatumomab (Blincyto®) for the treatment of patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
Fact Sheet No. 26 (October 2020)
Nivolumab (Opdivo®) as monotherapy for the treatment of unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OESCC)
Fact Sheet No. 27 (October 2020)
Autologous anti-CD19-transduced CD3+ cells (Tecartus®) for the treatment of relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)
Covid-19: HSS/ Horizon Scanning Living Document (v08 November 2020)
The establishment of a HSS/ Horizon Scanning System for Covid19 interventions has the intentions of informing health policy makers at an early stage which interventions (vaccinations and drugs) are currently undergoing clinical trials and to monitor them over the next few months in order to support evidence-based purchasing if necessary. The products are monitored with regard to the status of the clinical studies up to approval and finally evaluated for their benefit and harm.
All work steps are conducted in close international (European) cooperation.
Publications:
- Policy Brief No. 002: http://eprints.aihta.at/1234/
Contact: Claudia Wild
Home-Treatment in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: An Analysis of the Effectiveness and Possible Implementation in Austria
The Austrian child and adolescent psychiatric care landscape is characterised by substantial deficits on the intramural, as well as, on the extramural level. To overcome these supply shortfalls alternative outreach approaches, such as home-treatment, can be introduced to facilitate the reduction of hospitalisations. In this context, the present report aimed to systematically characterise international home-treatment-models considering their effectiveness and safety in the area of child and adolescent psychiatry. In addition, the fundamental challenges of implementing such treatment approaches were examined, taking into account the current Austrian care situation.
Publication: AIHTA Project report No. 129: http://eprints.aihta.at/1275/
Contact: Sarah Wolf, Nicole Grössmann
Horizon Scanning in Oncology - Fact Sheets
We are pleased to introduce our five new HSO Fact Sheets.
Fact Sheet No. 20 (September 2020)
Atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) plus bevacizumab for the treatment of advanced or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Fact Sheet No. 21 (September 2020)
Nivolumab (Opdivo®) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy®) and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
Fact Sheet No. 22 (September 2020)
Niraparib (Zejula®) in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer
Fact Sheet No. 23 (September 2020)
Olaparib (Lynparza®) for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)
Fact Sheet No. 24 (September 2020)
Olaparib (Lynparza®) plus bevacizumab as first-line maintenance treatment in patients with ovarian cancer
Covid-19: HSS/ Horizon Scanning Living Document (v07 October 2020)
The establishment of a HSS/ Horizon Scanning System for Covid19 interventions has the intentions of informing health policy makers at an early stage which interventions (vaccinations and drugs) are currently undergoing clinical trials and to monitor them over the next few months in order to support evidence-based purchasing if necessary. The products are monitored with regard to the status of the clinical studies up to approval and finally evaluated for their benefit and harm.
All work steps are conducted in close international (European) cooperation.
Publications:
- Policy Brief No. 002: http://eprints.aihta.at/1234/
Contact: Claudia Wild
