Aims: To investigate the natural history of CHC, estimate the disease burden of CHC, and assess the cost-effectiveness of screening for CHC among immigrants living in Canada. Methods: A retrospective cohort study compared the prognosis of CHC between immigrant patients and native-born patients who had advanced fibrosis. A cross-sectional study assessed the association between obesity and hepatitis C viremia. The disease burden of CHC among immigrants was estimated through Markov cohort model. The cost-effectiveness of screening for CHC was assessed among immigrants. Results: The retrospective cohort study including 318 patients demonstrated that immigrant patients had significantly higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma than Canadian-born patients (p=0.005). The hazard ratio associated with ‘immigrant’ for hepatocellular carcinoma in multivariate Cox proportional-hazards analyses reduced to the least and non-significant (p=0.318) after adjusting age and type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of obesity in 1118 individuals tested positive for hepatitis C antibody was 28.8%. Multiple regression analyses and propensity score methods suggested a significant association between obesity and hepatitis C viremia. The disease burden study estimated that immigrants with CHC had much shorter average life years (26.9 years vs. 39.1 years) and quality adjusted life years (20.6 years vs. 32.4 years) than the age matched immigrants without CHC. The cost-effectiveness study indicated that screening for CHC among immigrants from 183 countries (72.1% of immigrant population in Canada) had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio less than $50,000 per quality adjusted life year gained. Conclusion: Immigrant patients with CHC could have a higher risk of HCC than native-born patients. The significant association between obesity and hepatitis C viremia could explain the observed high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in patients with CHC. CHC reduces the average life expectancy of immigrants with CHC more than 10 years. Screening for CHC is cost-effective among over 70% of immigrants living in Canada.

Breast cancer is a common disease in Australia and exerts a sizable burden to individuals, families, and health care resources. Studies that assess healthrelated quality-of-life (HRQoL) are particularly relevant as survivors must learn to live with breast cancer, undergo prolonged treatment, use new pharmacological agents, monitor and adjust to a serious condition. Relatively little published evidence exists on the effects of rehabilitation programs for breast cancer survivors but those published demonstrate positive health benefits that alleviate both physical and psychological problems. This study aimed to partly fill this gap and had the objectives of: a) estimating the effectiveness of two rehabilitation interventions for breast cancer survivors over time compared to a non-intervention comparison group; and b) ascertaining which option was cost-effective when taking a societal perspective. Effectiveness was described in terms of HRQoL and functional status and there was a particular focus on upperbody morbidity since the two interventions primarily addressed this aspect of rehabilitation. The study participants comprised three groups: one group received a physiotherapy home-visits service (DAART), the second attended a gentleexercise group program (STRETCH), while the third represented a nonintervention comparison group for later analyses only. Data collection was primarily by way of postal questionnaires while medical and cost data abstraction was also necessary. Reliable and validated instruments were used to collect HRQoL and utility data. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Breast Cancer plus the Arm Morbidity module (FACT-B+4), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), and the Subjective Health Estimation (SHE) instruments were chosen for their high psychometric performance with various populations, their brevity, quick administration and relevance to a breast cancer sample. Missing data was a small concern overall, however, baseline differences were present and mixed across the three participant groups indicating selection bias was present. DAART showed poorer demographic indicators of socioeconomic status and were older, STRETCH participants had poorer disease and treatment profile, while the non-intervention women had poorer general health characteristics. Based on bivariate analyses, age, presence of comorbidities, chemotherapy, high blood pressure, work status (unpaid/paid), hormone therapy were determined to be factors requiring control for in the multivariate analyses. Benefits were found for multiple dimensions of HRQoL for the DAART intervention. On average, HRQoL levels were fairly high across the three alternative participant groups and no significant group differences were found. However, approximately one-third of the women experienced declining HRQoL between 6- to 12-months and their scores were significantly poorer than other participants. STRETCH incurred higher overall costs per participant (on average) than DAART and the non-intervention groups. This was driven by higher leisure time forgone, travel and higher community costs. DAART experienced the highest program costs (or health system costs). Therefore, by taking a societal perspective, and incorporating the estimated value of more intangible or indirect costs (e.g., volunteers, travel costs etc.) the STRETCH program was more costly. The greatest influence on higher costs incurred by the STRETCH participants was the average out-of-pocket expenses for health care services purchased during the previous 12 months for breast cancer-related problems. Although an exploratory finding, the DAART group emerged as the cost-effective option, that is, the incremental cost per QALY gained was $1,344 compared to STRETCH $14,478. The key drivers in the cost-effectiveness modelling were utility values and health service expenditure. When uncertainty was quantified by way of Monte Carlo modelling, DAART remained the cost-effective choice. This project has highlighted that while many women seem to breeze through their breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, there are a substantial number of women who do not. Therefore, it is quite mistaken to generalise the favourable levels of HRQoL and expect that all women will get back to 'normal'. Given that HRQoL is a very complex concept, it was important to use validated tools that had undergone extensive testing with sound psychometric properties. Health care activities observed in their natural 'real world' setting are preferable to minimise biases that may cause more favourable results than truly occur and allow a better assessment on the impact of the service. The project findings have been interpreted while respecting a number of limitations. These have included potential selection and response bias, missing data, and small numbers of intervention women and defined socio-demographic profiles. Taken together, these are likely to overestimate the true outcomes. Arguably, selection bias and the timing of the interventions are likely to be the strongest factors affecting the generalisability of these findings. Given the caveats of this research, the following recommendations were made: 1. Greater awareness and/or screening of adjustment problems among survivors needs to be considered during recovery from breast cancer surgery. 2. Early physiotherapy should be given to all breast cancer survivors after surgery due to the potential functional, physical and overall HRQoL benefits that may arise. 3. Professionally-led group exercise therapy with psychosocial care appears to have a neutral effect on upper-body recovery and improving HRQoL. However, it provides advantages for attendees in the form of peersupport, education, a holistic focus and the potential for addressing previously unrecognised psychological problems in a caring and acceptable environment. This program, with large community resources (provided voluntarily), represents a very low-cost outlay for health services and should be given support and consideration during follow-up care after breast surgery. 4. From a societal perspective, a home-visiting physiotherapy service represents a cost-effective means to provide rehabilitative care for breast cancer patients and represents an excellent public health investment. Several topics for further research are likely to be important in the future including, among others, other modes and settings of rehabilitation service delivery, barriers to psychosocial care and the indirect financial and work consequences of having breast cancer.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 23, 2009). Thesis advisor: Wayne K. Clatterbuck. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Introdução: Dados de custo necessários na Análise de Custo-Efetividade (CEA) são, muitas vezes, obtidos de estudos longitudinais primários. Neste contexto, é comum a presença de censura caracterizada por não se ter os dados de custo a partir de certo momento, devido ao fato de que indivíduos saem do estudo sem esse estar finalizado. A ideia da Ponderação pela Probabilidade Inversa (IPW – do inglês, Inverse Probability Weighting) vem sendo bastante estudada na literatura relacionada a esse problema, mas é desconhecida a disponibilidade de ferramentas computacionais para esse contexto. Objetivo: Construir ferramentas computacionais em software Excel e R, para estimação de custos pelo método IPW conforme proposto por Bang e Tsiatis (2000), com o objetivo de lidar com o problema da censura em dados de custos. Métodos: Através da criação de planilhas eletrônicas em software Excel e programação em software R, e utilizando-se bancos de dados hipotéticos com situações diversas, busca-se propiciar ao pesquisador maior entendimento do uso desse estimador bem como a interpretação dos seus resultados. Resultados: As ferramentas desenvolvidas, ao proporcionarem a aplicação do método IPW de modo intuitivo, se mostraram como facilitadoras para a estimação de custos na presença de censura, possibilitando calcular a ICER a partir de dados de custo. Conclusão: As ferramentas desenvolvidas permitem ao pesquisador, além de uma compreensão prática do método, a sua aplicabilidade em maior escala, podendo ser considerada como alternativa satisfatória às dificuldades postas pelo problema da censura na CEA. / Introduction: Cost data needed in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) are often obtained from longitudinal primary studies. In this context, it is common the presence of censoring characterized by not having cost data after a certain point, due to the fact that individuals leave the study without this being finalized. The idea of Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) has been extensively studied in the literature related to this problem, but is unknown the availability of computational tools for this context. Objective: To develop computational tools in software Excel and software R, to estimate costs by IPW method, as proposed by Bang and Tsiatis (2000), in order to deal with the problem of censorship in cost data. Methods: By creating spreadsheets in Excel software and programming in R software, and using hypothetical database with different situations, we seek to provide to the researcher most understanding of the use of IPW estimator and the interpretation of its results. Results: The developed tools, affording the application of IPW method in an intuitive way, showed themselves as facilitators for the cost estimation in the presence of censorship, allowing to calculate the ICER from more accurate cost data. Conclusion: The developed tools allow the researcher, besides a practical understanding of the method, its applicability on a larger scale, and may be considered a satisfactory alternative to the difficulties posed by the problem of censorship in CEA.

Introdução: Dados de custo necessários na Análise de Custo-Efetividade (CEA) são, muitas vezes, obtidos de estudos longitudinais primários. Neste contexto, é comum a presença de censura caracterizada por não se ter os dados de custo a partir de certo momento, devido ao fato de que indivíduos saem do estudo sem esse estar finalizado. A ideia da Ponderação pela Probabilidade Inversa (IPW – do inglês, Inverse Probability Weighting) vem sendo bastante estudada na literatura relacionada a esse problema, mas é desconhecida a disponibilidade de ferramentas computacionais para esse contexto. Objetivo: Construir ferramentas computacionais em software Excel e R, para estimação de custos pelo método IPW conforme proposto por Bang e Tsiatis (2000), com o objetivo de lidar com o problema da censura em dados de custos. Métodos: Através da criação de planilhas eletrônicas em software Excel e programação em software R, e utilizando-se bancos de dados hipotéticos com situações diversas, busca-se propiciar ao pesquisador maior entendimento do uso desse estimador bem como a interpretação dos seus resultados. Resultados: As ferramentas desenvolvidas, ao proporcionarem a aplicação do método IPW de modo intuitivo, se mostraram como facilitadoras para a estimação de custos na presença de censura, possibilitando calcular a ICER a partir de dados de custo. Conclusão: As ferramentas desenvolvidas permitem ao pesquisador, além de uma compreensão prática do método, a sua aplicabilidade em maior escala, podendo ser considerada como alternativa satisfatória às dificuldades postas pelo problema da censura na CEA. / Introduction: Cost data needed in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) are often obtained from longitudinal primary studies. In this context, it is common the presence of censoring characterized by not having cost data after a certain point, due to the fact that individuals leave the study without this being finalized. The idea of Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) has been extensively studied in the literature related to this problem, but is unknown the availability of computational tools for this context. Objective: To develop computational tools in software Excel and software R, to estimate costs by IPW method, as proposed by Bang and Tsiatis (2000), in order to deal with the problem of censorship in cost data. Methods: By creating spreadsheets in Excel software and programming in R software, and using hypothetical database with different situations, we seek to provide to the researcher most understanding of the use of IPW estimator and the interpretation of its results. Results: The developed tools, affording the application of IPW method in an intuitive way, showed themselves as facilitators for the cost estimation in the presence of censorship, allowing to calculate the ICER from more accurate cost data. Conclusion: The developed tools allow the researcher, besides a practical understanding of the method, its applicability on a larger scale, and may be considered a satisfactory alternative to the difficulties posed by the problem of censorship in CEA.

This thesis deals with problems of cost and profitability of farms producing the selected crop and livestock commodities. For the structure of the work is divided into 3 parts - theoretical part and practical part of the methodology. The theoretical part is devoted to the use of cost and production functions and the degree of cost-effectiveness. Complementing the analysis of systems of indicators, which is defined logarithmic metoda.V practical part of the theoretical findings are applied to a set of 76 farms, which are divided according to production areas in the period 2006 - 2010.

O estudo tem como objetivo geral avaliar a razão de custo-utilidade do tratamento da infecção pelo vírus da hepatite C (VHC) em pacientes dialisados, candidatos a transplante renal, tendo como esquemas terapêuticos alternativos o interferon-_ em monoterapia; o interferon peguilado em monoterapia; o interferon-_ em terapia combinada com ribavirina e o interferon peguilado em terapia combinada com ribavirina, comparando-os com o nãotratamento. A perspectiva do estudo foi a do Sistema Único de Saúde(SUS), que também serviu de base para estimar o impacto orçamentário da estratégia de tratamento mais custo efetiva. Para o alcance dos objetivos, foi construído um modelo de Makov para simulação de custos e resultados de cada estratégia avaliada. Para subsidiar o modelo, foi realizada uma revisão de literatura, a fim de definir os estados de saúde relacionados à infecção pelo vírus da hepatite C em transplantados e a probabilidade de transição entre os estados. Medidas de utilidade foram derivadas de consultas a especialistas. Os custos foram derivados da tabela de procedimentos do SUS. Os resultados do estudo demonstraram que o tratamento da infecção pelo VHC antes do transplante renal é mais custo-efetivo que o não tratamento, apontando o interferon-a como a melhor opção. O impacto orçamentário para adoção dessa estratégia pelo SUS corresponde a 0,3% do valor despendido pelo SUS com terapia renal substitutiva ao longo do ano de 2007. / The objective of the study was to analyze the cost-utility of the treatment of hepatitis C in patients on dialysis awaiting renal transplantation. The aim was to compare among distinct treatments: monotherapy with interferon-_, monotherapy with pegylated interferon, interferon-_ associated with ribavirin, and pegylated interferon with ribavirin, and with those without treatment. The perspective used was the Brazilian Public health system (SUS), which was also the base for calculating the costs of the treatment more cost effective. To analyze the data the Markov model was used for simulation of the costs and results obtained for each treatment used. Data from literature were used to define the health states of the transplanted patients infected by hepatitis C, and the probability of transition among the states. Utility measures derived from specialists evaluation. The costs derived from the procedures list of the SUS. The results show that treatment of hepatitis C before renal transplantation is more cost-effective compared with no treatment, and interferon-a is the best option. The budget impact of this strategy corresponds to 0.3% of the total amount used by the SUS with renal replacement therapy in the year of 2007.

O estudo tem como objetivo geral avaliar a razão de custo-utilidade do tratamento da infecção pelo vírus da hepatite C (VHC) em pacientes dialisados, candidatos a transplante renal, tendo como esquemas terapêuticos alternativos o interferon-_ em monoterapia; o interferon peguilado em monoterapia; o interferon-_ em terapia combinada com ribavirina e o interferon peguilado em terapia combinada com ribavirina, comparando-os com o nãotratamento. A perspectiva do estudo foi a do Sistema Único de Saúde(SUS), que também serviu de base para estimar o impacto orçamentário da estratégia de tratamento mais custo efetiva. Para o alcance dos objetivos, foi construído um modelo de Makov para simulação de custos e resultados de cada estratégia avaliada. Para subsidiar o modelo, foi realizada uma revisão de literatura, a fim de definir os estados de saúde relacionados à infecção pelo vírus da hepatite C em transplantados e a probabilidade de transição entre os estados. Medidas de utilidade foram derivadas de consultas a especialistas. Os custos foram derivados da tabela de procedimentos do SUS. Os resultados do estudo demonstraram que o tratamento da infecção pelo VHC antes do transplante renal é mais custo-efetivo que o não tratamento, apontando o interferon-a como a melhor opção. O impacto orçamentário para adoção dessa estratégia pelo SUS corresponde a 0,3% do valor despendido pelo SUS com terapia renal substitutiva ao longo do ano de 2007. / The objective of the study was to analyze the cost-utility of the treatment of hepatitis C in patients on dialysis awaiting renal transplantation. The aim was to compare among distinct treatments: monotherapy with interferon-_, monotherapy with pegylated interferon, interferon-_ associated with ribavirin, and pegylated interferon with ribavirin, and with those without treatment. The perspective used was the Brazilian Public health system (SUS), which was also the base for calculating the costs of the treatment more cost effective. To analyze the data the Markov model was used for simulation of the costs and results obtained for each treatment used. Data from literature were used to define the health states of the transplanted patients infected by hepatitis C, and the probability of transition among the states. Utility measures derived from specialists evaluation. The costs derived from the procedures list of the SUS. The results show that treatment of hepatitis C before renal transplantation is more cost-effective compared with no treatment, and interferon-a is the best option. The budget impact of this strategy corresponds to 0.3% of the total amount used by the SUS with renal replacement therapy in the year of 2007.

In electricity markets evolving towards liberalisation and internationalisation, green certificates are seen as an important tool to promote production of renewable energy. In a green certificate market producers sell certificates received per unit of electricity generated from renewable energy. Trade in renewability is thereby decoupled from the the physical electricity trade. Tradable green certificates in combination with renewables obligation are implemented or planned in several EU member states. Integration at EU leveland the creation of a common certificate market seem like a possible next step. Using a simple model, the effects of an EU system for tradable green certificates, compared to national implementation, are tested for the period 2000–2010. The simulations show a clear increase of cost effectiveness and large changes in the geographical balance of renewable energy when reaching the EU 22 per cent target. Less competitive technologies, such as solar power, are not deployed at all. The situation is however similar without international trade. Rather than implementing a certificate market with all EU member states, but with different support schemes, a smaller market, only with countries that combine the certificate market with renewables obligation, is recommended.

Submitted by Neusa Fagundes (neusa.fagundes@unioeste.br) on 2018-03-09T19:11:49Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Érica_Taguti2014.pdf: 1522601 bytes, checksum: 0c0c5940962174392fdd910bcc90e985 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-09T19:11:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Érica_Taguti2014.pdf: 1522601 bytes, checksum: 0c0c5940962174392fdd910bcc90e985 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The aims of this research were update systematic reviews available about partial and complete economic studies of linezolid and estimate differential cost between intravenous and oral administration with hypothetical linezolid switch therapy (intravenous to oral or nasogastric tube). A systematic review was conducted using the terms "clinical outcomes", "analysis cost", "economic outcomes" and "pharmacoeconomic studies" and "linezolid" in the databases Cochrane, IPA, Medline and Scopus, associated with manual search. It was also conducted a cost-minimization analysis among hospitalized patients who used oral and/or intravenous linezolid forms between August, 2009 and August, 2013 in a public hospital in southern Brazil. The research was presented in three different papers. For systematic review were found 1352 articles, of which 24 fulfilled inclusion criteria for the systematic review of partial economic studies and 43 for systematic review of complete economic evaluations. In general, linezolid showed better clinical and economic outcomes compared to antimicrobials such as vancomycin, daptomycin, teicoplanin, particularly in cases of pneumonia patients, infections of skin and soft tissues, infections of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, for systematic review of partil and complete economic evaluations, due to the possibility switch therapy. In study of cost-minimization were evaluated records of 152 patients, 103 (67.8%) were treated with linezolid exclusively intravenous route and in 33 (31.7%) opportunities could have been the exchange to oral form administration of antimicrobial. The total cost per patient (mean) after changing from intravenous to oral administration was significantly lower than the real cost paid per patient (mean) (p<0.001). The cost savings associated with switching to oral linezolid administration would be US$14,328.32 over four years. / Os objetivos dessa pesquisa foram atualizar as revisões sistemáticas existentes de estudos econômicos parciais e completos da linezolida e descrever a economia de recursos com a hipotética troca da via de administração do medicamento (endovenosa para oral ou sonda nasoenteral) entre pacientes tratados em um hospital público. Foi conduzida uma revisão sistemática de estudos com os termos “clinical outcomes”, “cost analysis”, “economic outcomes” e “pharmacoeconomic studies” e “linezolid”, nas bases de dados Cochrane, IPA, Medline e Scopus, associado a busca manual. Também foi conduzida uma análise de custo-minimização entre pacientes hospitalizados que utilizaram as formas oral e/ou endovenosa de linezolida entre agosto de 2009 e agosto de 2013 em um hospital público paranaense. As pesquisa foram apresentadas em três diferentes artigos. Para a revisão sistemática foram encontrados 1352 artigos, sendo que 24 preencheram os critérios de inclusão para a revisão sistemática de estudos econômicos parciais e 43 para a revisão sistemática de avaliações econômicas completas. No geral, a linezolida mostrou melhores resultados clínicos e econômicos frente a antimicrobianos como vancomicina, daptomicina, teicoplanina, especialmente nos casos de pacientes com pneumonia, infeções de pele e tecidos moles e infeções por Staphylococcus aureus resistente a meticilina, para estudos econômicos parciais e completos, sendo um dos motivos relacionados à troca da via de administração endovenosa para oral. No estudo de custo-minimização, foram avaliados os prontuários de 152 pacientes, sendo 103 (67,8%) deles foram tratados com linezolida exclusivamente pela via endovenosa e em 33 (31,7%) oportunidades poderia ter ocorrido a troca para a forma oral de administração do antimicrobiano. O custo médio por paciente após a troca hipotética seria significativamente menor do que o valor real gasto (p<0,01) e a economia seria de R$ 32.680,03 em quatro anos.