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Abstract Background To evaluate the potential benefits of the Magnetic Resonance-guided high intensity Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) introduction in the clinical practice, for the treatment of uterine fibroids, in comparison with the standard “conservative” procedures, devoted to women who wish to preserve their uterus or enhance fertility: myomectomy and uterine artery embolization (UAE). Methods A Health Technology Assessment was conducted, assuming the payer’s perspective (Italian National Healthcare Service). The nine EUnetHTA Core Model dimensions were deeply investigated, by means of i) a literature review; ii) the implementation of health economics tools (useful for uterine fibroids patients’ clinical pathway economic evaluation, and budget impact analysis), to define MRgFUS economic and organizational sustainability, and iii) administration of specific questionnaires filled by uterine fibroids’ experts, to gather their perceptions on the three possible conservative approaches (MRgFUS, UAE and myomectomy). Results Literature revealed that MRgFUS would generate several benefits, from a safety and an efficacy profile, with significant improvement in symptoms relief. Advantages emerged concerning the patients’ perspective, thus leading to a decrease both in the length of hospital stay (p-value

Primary care represents an answer to the growing demand of an ageing population for healthcare services outside the hospital. As a support mechanism of primary care, the distribution of health technologies to chronic patients plays an important role, but it has been investigated from the operational viewpoint only, ignoring the patient's perspective. We explored patient's satisfaction in relation to the distribution processes of incontinence health technologies, investigating its antecedents and isolating the factors driving the satisfaction of patients – which could be leveraged to design better distribution processes for better primary care services. We performed a survey study on 650 patients in primary care services affected by incontinence in Italy, building on the ServQual and Kano models. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with Multi-Group Analysis (MGA) was adopted to analyse the data. Results show that interaction of patients with the personnel delivering the service is the key driver of patient satisfaction: this is an element more important than the operational features of distribution services (such as punctuality/reliability of the service or its flexibility).

Lucrezia Ferrario,1 Fabrizio Schettini,1 Elisabetta Garagiola,1 Adriana Cecchi,2 Lucia Lugoboni,3 Paolo Serra,4 Emanuele Porazzi,1 Emanuela Foglia1 1Carlo Cattaneo – LIUC University and LIUC Business School, Castellanza, Italy; 2ARCS – Azienda Regionale di Coordinamento per la Salute, Udine, Italy; 3Bee Care, Lugano, Switzerland; 4Brotzu Hospital, Cagliari, ItalyCorrespondence: Lucrezia FerrarioCarlo Cattaneo – LIUC University and LIUC Business School, Corso Matteotti 22, Castellanza, VA 21053, ItalyTel +39 033 1572504Fax +39 033 1572513Email lferrario@liuc.itPurpose: To evaluate the incremental benefits concerning the implementation of closed-system medical devices for the preparation and administration of chemotherapy agents (integrated or not with traceable workflow), within an Italian clinical practice, in which the use of such technologies is not standardized.Methodology: Four Scenarios, implying different levels of technologies introduction, were analyzed, based on the presence and/or absence of closed systems and traceable workflow, in the preparation and in the administration phase. A literature review was conducted, in order to retrieve efficacy and safety measures. Economic and organizational benefits, assuming a hospitals perspective, were assessed by means of health-economics tools, considering 27,660 (± 695.86) drugs on average prepared, on an annual basis, by 12 hospitals involved. The typology of medical devices and other devices/equipment used, the human resources involved, and the time spent for the preparation and administration phases were collected.Results: Literature stated that the introduction of advanced technologies (CSTDs in the preparation phase, closed-system in the administration phase, both integrated by a traceable workflow) could: i) decrease surface contamination (12.24% vs 26.39%, P< 0.001) and ii) improve the capability to identify dosage errors (7% vs 0.096%, P< 0.05). The above technologies presented the best trade-off between cost sustained and efficacy gained. Despite marginal investments (ranging from +1% to +6%) being required for their acquisition, an organizational saving equal to more than 1,000 working hours emerged, which could be spent on other hospital activities.Conclusion: The implementation of closed systems, integrated with a traceable workflow grounding on gravimetric control, may be considered a valid technological alternative within the investigated setting. The marginal incremental costs could be absorbed already in the first year after their introduction, in particular, because of the potential time saving in using closed systems in both the preparation and administration phases, demonstrating the sustainability and feasibility of such advanced technologies.Keywords: closed-system medical device, chemotherapy agents, safety, economic evaluation, HTA, organisational benefits

Tiziana Galli,1 Paolo Mirata,2 Emanuela Foglia,3 Davide Croce,3,4 Emanuele Porazzi,3 Lucrezia Ferrario,3 Elena Ricci,5 Elisabetta Garagiola,3 Roberta Pagani,3 Giuseppe Banfi6,7 1Department of Functional Recovery and Re-education, Hospital of Saronno, Hospital Authority “ASST Valle Olona”, Saronno, Italy; 2Department of Functional Recovery and Re-education, Hospital of Busto Arsizio, Hospital Authority “ASST Valle Olona”, Busto Arsizio, Italy; 3Centre for Research on Health Economics Social and Health Care Management (CREMS), LIUC - Università Cattaneo, Castellanza, Italy; 4School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; 5Department of Infectious Diseases, Fatebenefratelli Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy; 6Orthopaedics Institute, IRCCS Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; 7San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy Purpose: The aim of the present study was to compare 2 clinical assessment tools, the Modified Barthel Index (currently administered to patients admitted into inpatient rehabilitation units after elective hip or knee arthroplasty) with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0 scale, in order to identify which tool is more suitable for assessing the disability and the “recovery rate”.Patients and methods: A perspective multicenter observational study was developed, involving 2 hospital authorities in Italy. Eighty consecutive cases of inpatients were enrolled. Patient’s disability was evaluated using both of the aforementioned tools, before and after the rehabilitation program.Results: The WHODAS 2.0 score was, on average, 12.21% higher than the Modified Barthel Index, before the surgical intervention. Modified Barthel Index measures could be considered as a determinant and a predictor of length of stay.Conclusion: The Modified Barthel Index is limited, since it does not consider a patient’s perspective. The WHODAS 2.0 scale fully considers a patient’s perception of disability. Therefore, both assessment scales should be administered in clinical practice, in order to provide integration of clinical information with a patient’s reported outcome measures. Keywords: disability, Modified Barthel Index, WHODAS 2.0, orthopedics, rehabilitation

Abstract Objective Lumbar arthrodesis is a common surgical technique that consists of the fixation of one or more motion segments with pedicle screws and rods. However, spinal surgery using these techniques is expensive and has a significant impact on the budgets of hospitals and Healthcare Systems. While reusable and disposable instruments for laparoscopic interventions have been studied in literature, no specific information exists regarding instrument kits for lumbar arthrodesis. The aim of the present study was to perform a complete health technology assessment comparing a disposable instrument kit for lumbar arthrodesis (innovative device) with the standard reusable instrument. Methods A prospective and observational study was implemented, by means of investigation of administrative records of patients undergoing a lumbar arthrodesis surgical procedure. The evaluation was conducted in 2013, over a 12- month time horizon, considering all the procedures carried out using the two technologies. A complete health technology assessment and a multi-criteria decision analysis approach were implemented in order to compare the two alternative technologies. Economic impact (with the implementation of an activity based costing approach), social, ethical, organisational, and technology-related aspects were taken into account. Results Although the cost analysis produced similar results in the comparison of the two technologies (total cost equal to € 4,279.1 and € 4,242.6 for reusable instrument kit and the disposable one respectively), a significant difference between the two instrument kits was noted, in particular concerning the organisational impact and the patient safety. Conclusions The replacement of a reusable instrument kit for lumbar arthrodesis, with a disposable one, could improve the management of this kind of devices in hospital settings.

Giuliano Rizzardini,1 Umberto Restelli,2 Paolo Bonfanti,3 Emanuele Porazzi,2 Elena Ricci,1 Emanuela Foglia,2 Laura Carenzi,1 Davide Croce21First Infectious Diseases Department, "Luigi Sacco" Hospital, Milan; 2Centre for Research on Health Economics, Social, and Health Care Management, Università Carlo Cattaneo, Castellanza; 3Infectious Diseases Department, "Alessandro Manzoni" Hospital, Lecco, ItalyBackground: In recent years, the increased efficacy and effectiveness of antiretroviral treatment has led to longer survival of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but has also raised the question of what happens to consumption of resources. Early highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART), management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection, and expensive newly marketed drugs may affect the economic sustainability of treatment from the point of view of the National Healthcare Services. The present study aimed to provide information on the economic burden of HIV-positive patients resident in the Lombardy region using a three-year time horizon.Methods: This was a retrospective, observational, budget impact study, based on information collected for the period 2007–2009, including hospitalizations, outpatient services, and HAART and non-HAART drug utilization. Patients with confirmed HIV infection, aged ≥ 18 years, resident in the Lombardy region, and followed at the "L Sacco" Hospital in Milan from 2007 to 2009 were eligible.Results: A total of 483 patients (mean age 44.1 years) were included in the study. The mean CD4+ cell count increased over the study period from 462 ± 242 cells/mm3 in 2007, to 513 ± 267 cells/mm3 in 2008, to 547 ± 262 cells/mm3 in 2009. In total, 162 subjects (33.5%) were coinfected with HCV. Hospitalizations and HAART costs increased from 2007 to 2009, whereas outpatient visits and non-HAART drug costs decreased slightly over time. The total cost increase was also significant when limiting the analysis to experienced patients, HCV-negative patients, and experienced HCV-negative patients.Conclusion: CD4+ cell count, a major predictor of costs, increased over the study period. However, immunological improvement was achieved by greater expense in the short term. Whether this may be compensated by a long-term decrease in opportunistic infections and in the costs of management of HIV-related events is an area still to be investigated.Keywords: health care costs, human immunodeficiency virus infection, risk factors, retrospective study

Os hábitos alimentares de escolares têm apresentado tendências ao consumo de lanches rápidos, co-responsáveis pela obesidade infanto-juvenil e pelo risco de doenças associadas. A merenda escolar visa contribuir para hábitos alimentares saudáveis, porém, muitas vezes, os escolares optam por alimentos de questionável valor nutricional para seus lanches. O presente estudo busca identificar as preferências alimentares e o consumo de crianças e adolescentes no período escolar, visando futuras ações de educação em nutrição. A pesquisa, transversal e exploratória, identificou 266 alunos que costumam consumir lanche escolar e indicaram preferência ao consumo de lanches rápidos, com elevado valor calórico e reduzida qualidade nutricional, refletindo o hábito regional, porém o consumo regular da refeição “merenda escolar” foi apontada por 46% destes alunos. A alimentação das crianças na fase escolar deve propiciar seu desenvolvimento integral e assegurar saúde no decorrer da vida e, para tanto, as ações educativas em nutrição devem promover orientações para atitudes alimentares saudáveis e influenciar na seleção dos alimentos consumidos pelos escolares. A participação consciente da escola e da família no processo formativo das pessoas da sociedade deve ser grande aliada aos princípios da ciência da Nutrição, em prol da saúde geral da população.