Au Canada, le cancer du poumon est la cause principale de décès relié au cancer. À l’imagerie médicale, le cancer du poumon peut prendre la forme d’un nodule pulmonaire. La prise en charge menant au diagnostic définitif d’un nodule pulmonaire peut s’avérer complexe. La recherche en oncoprotéomique a permis le développement de nouveaux tests diagnostiques non-invasifs en cancer du poumon. Ceux-ci ont pour objectif d’évaluer le risque de malignité d’un nodule pour guider la prise en charge menant au diagnostic. Toutefois, l’impact économique de tels tests demeure inconnu. L’objectif de ce projet était de mesurer, en milieu de pratique réelle, l’utilisation des ressources en soins de santé pour l’investigation de nodules pulmonaires puis, de développer un modèle générique permettant d’évaluer l’impact économique au Québec des nouveaux tests protéomiques pour l’investigation de ces nodules. Tout d’abord, une revue de dossiers patients a été effectuée dans trois centres hospitaliers du Québec afin de mesurer les ressources en soins de santé et les coûts associés à l’investigation de nodules pulmonaires entre 0,8 et 3,0 cm. Par la suite, une analyse de minimisation de coûts a été effectuée à partir d’un modèle générique développé dans le cadre de ce projet. Ce modèle visait à comparer l’approche courante d’investigation à celle intégrant un test protéomique fictif afin de déterminer l’approche la moins dispendieuse. La revue de dossiers patients a permis de déterminer qu’au Québec, le coût moyen d’investigation d’un nodule pulmonaire est de 7 354$. Selon les résultats de l’analyse, si le coût du test protéomique est fixé en-deçà de 3 228,70$, l’approche intégrant celui-ci serait moins dispendieuse que l’approche courante. La présente analyse suggère que l’utilisation d’un test diagnostique protéomique non-invasif en début d’investigation pour un nodule de 0,8 à 3,0 cm, permettrait d’engendrer des économies pour le système de santé au Québec. / In Canada, lung cancer is the leading cause of death among cancer patients. Imaging technologies, such as computed tomography, allows the detection of potential lung cancers in the form of pulmonary nodules. The clinical pathway leading to the definitive diagnostic of a pulmonary nodule can be complex. Research in oncoproteomics has led to the development of novel noninvasive diagnostic tests in lung cancer. These tests aim to evaluate the risk of malignancy of a nodule in order to guide the clinical pathway leading to a diagnostic. However, the economic impact of such tests remains unknown. The objective of this project was to measure, in a real-life setting, health care resource utilization for the investigation of pulmonary nodules and then, develop a generic model to assess the economic impact in the province of Quebec of new proteomic tests for the investigation of these nodules. Firstly, a medical chart review was performed in three hospitals in Quebec to measure health care resource utilization for the investigation of pulmonary nodules of 0,8 to 3,0 cm. Then, a cost minimization analysis was performed by using a generic model developed for this project. This model compared the usual care to the approach integrating a fictive proteomic test in order to identify the less expensive approach. As per the medical chart review, the average cost for the investigation of a pulmonary nodule was $7,354. According to the results of the analysis, if the cost of the test is below $3,228.70, the approach integrating a proteomic test would be less expensive then the current approach. This study tends to demonstrate that the use of a noninvasive proteomic diagnostic test at the beginning of the investigation of a pulmonary nodule from 0,8 to 3,0 cm could generate savings for the health care system in Quebec.

Background: Based on previous research, conventional mammography screening has been found to be ineffective for women at high risk, mainly because high-risk women have high breast density and a fast progression rate of breast cancer. Recently, MRI screening was proposed as an additional complementary screening for high-risk women in Ottawa. The addition of MRI to mammography to screen the high-risk population is worth exploring as it may well address the limitations of mammography, especially since MRI has higher sensitivity. Purpose: The goal of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness off adding MRI to mammography screening for early detection among women of the high-risk population in Ottawa by using conventional values for the society’s/government’s willingness to pay for one life year gained (US$ 50,000). Methods: A discrete-event simulation model was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of adding MRI screening to mammography for high risk women breast screening in Ottawa. Three risk groups were considered; BRCA1, BRCA2 and other high risk. Based on breast annual incidence, screening features, breast cancer progression among high-risk women, treatment and breast cancer survival rates, the model simulates a hypothetical cohort consisting of 5000 women progressing from age 30 to 100 (or to natural death) and calculates the accumulated life years and costs in order to predict the cost of one life year gained by each screening strategy. Univariate sensitivity analysis was performed on the key parameters to determine the robustness of the simulation outcomes. Paired t-tests were used to determine whether the parameters’ variations are statistically significant or not. Results: In the base-case scenario, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of mammography compared to both screening was CAN$30,043.48 /life year gained (95%CI ±2524.40) which means the addition of MRI to mammography is a cost-effective intervention according to the commonly used willingness-to-pay threshold of US$50,000 per life-year gained. The findings of the sensitivity analysis indicate that the cost-effectiveness of adding MRI screening is statistically significant for most of the parameter variations, however, the degree of change in the ICER is not hugely impactful as in all cases the ICER remained well below the commonly used willingness-to-pay threshold per life year gained. Conclusion: Study results suggested that the addition of MRI has an important role in improving high risk women screening in terms of increasing life years gained compared to receiving mammography screening only. The results of this study support the recommendations of Cancer Care Ontario and the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee guidelines of expanding the Ontario Screening Program to integrate MRI with mammography screening for high risk women aged 30 to 69 years.

This diploma thesis is focused on evaluation of efficiency and risks of project revitalization of production facilities. The core of the thesis is: a characterization of investment projects and their cycles, general approaches to economic evaluation of private projects, a description of general approaches to risk analysis of private projects. The last part of the thesis is created as a case study which is focused on an evaluation of efficiency and coordinating risks of a private investment project.

The diploma thesis focuses on the economic evaluation of the company acquisition project using methods of discounted cash flow, net present value and discounted payback period. The theoretical part of the thesis uses comprehensive view on modern methods of strategic and financial analysis, financial planning strategy and investment decision-making methods. The second half of the work contains practical part of strategic and financial analysis, calculated cost of equity, weighted average cost of capital and economic evaluation of the acquisition project itself.

In 2007, in June the company Europrojekt entered the project with the requirement of the formulation and implementation of heating motherly school by heat pumps in the village Hluk. The projekt was ordered by the management of this motherly school. This is a total reconstruction of the heating system building motherly school, including the use of residual heat for heating the pool water in an open swimming pool, which is located near this motherly school. The requirement is also given to reduce environmental pollution and achieve energy savings. This diploma thesis solves the detailed description of solutions and calculations for each part. In first, the introductory part of the work is focused on getting the project, a description of the object motherly school and a proposal for the energy measure before the realization. Second section is devoted to the selection and design of the system of heat pumps and solar collectors. Next part of work is the use of the residual heat for heating the pool water in the transitional months, i.e. May, September and the main months June, July, and August, when should be the visit of the swimming pool the biggest. In addition, resolving heat recovery through plate exchangers, the calculation of storage tanks, valves insurance proposal, the expansion tank, circulation pumps, etc. The last part thesis addresses the energy and economic assessment of the whole project.

The diploma thesis contains an energy audit of the figure skating hall. In the first part I focused on the analysis of the topic, fire regulations and laws relating to given theme, recent technical, theoretical and experimental solutions in practice. In the next part, I compiled the of building energy audit of building, including its mandatory annexes. In the last part, I presented the results of measurements in the evaluated object.

This master’s thesis is dealing with the plan of reconstruction of the house in an effort to get closer to "near zero building". Total heat loss along with calculation of the cost of the house operation and the energy performance of buildings were computed for the given house. Then we have enclosed suggestions of individual methods of building´s insulation (replacing of windows, doors and gates, insulation of exterior walls, roof and ceiling between floor and attic) and a draft of a new technical building services (forced ventilation with heat recovery, photovoltaic system and heat pump). Furthermore, the suitability of the original heating system was evaluated and the also the energy performance for the renovated building was analyzed during the reconstruction. An economic evaluation was calculated for each method of reconstruction, together with the new green subsidy programme. At the end of the dissertation is drawn up the economic evaluation of the whole proposed reconstruction, together with an assessment, what class of the building we have achieved according to its the energy intensity.

Die Dissertation beschreibt am Beispiel einer Längsschnittstudie in der Papierindustrie, wie Effekte von Maßnahmen der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung in geschätzten ökonomischen Nutzen übertragen werden können. Ausgangspunkt der Untersuchung ist das Variablen-Modell nach Locke und Latham (1990). Darauf aufbauend wurden geeignete Indikatoren und Messinstrumente ausgewählt und in mehreren Voruntersuchungen überprüft. Hauptinstrument ist ein Fragebogen, der im quasiexperimentellen Design zur Ist-Analyse und nach Umsetzung der Maßnahmen eingesetzt wurde. An der ersten Befragung im Oktober 2000 nahmen 320 Gewerbliche und Angestellte des Unternehmens (Rücklauf 89%), an der zweiten drei Jahre später 402 Mitarbeiter (Rücklauf 91%) teil. Für den Längsschnitt standen die Fragebögen von 118 Mitarbeitern zur Verfügung. Neben den Fragebogendaten wurden personbezogene Daten zum Krankenstand erhoben, die auf freiwilliger Basis mit den Fragebogendaten verknüpft wurden, worauf sich 71% der im Jahr 2000 Befragten und 80% der im Jahr 2003 Befragten einlassen konnten. Zur Absicherung der Validität kamen weitere Untersuchungsmethoden zum Einsatz: für 19 Tätigkeiten wurde eine objektive arbeitspsychologische Tätigkeitsanalyse (Pohlandt, Schulze, Jordan & Richter, 2002) durchgeführt, die beteiligten Bereiche wurden in einem Rankingverfahren durch betriebliche Experten eingeschätzt, die organisationale Einbindung der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung wurde zu beiden Untersuchungszeitpunkten mit Hilfe des Fragebogens von Breucker (Prävention online, 2000) erfasst, es fanden 22 strukturierte Interviews mit den Beschäftigten zur Einschätzung der durchgeführten Maßnahmen statt. Die Ergebnisse der ersten Mitarbeiterbefragung wurden zurückgemeldet, diskutiert und zu 12 Maßnahmen verdichtet. Diese 12 Maßnahmen wurden in die Zweitbefragung mit aufgenommen, wobei die aktive Beteiligung an ihnen und die Zufriedenheit mit ihrer Umsetzung eingeschätzt werden sollten. Zur Ermittlung der Effizienz wurden eine erweiterte Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse (nach Schmidt, Hunter & Pearlman, 1982) und eine Kosten-Nutzwert-Analyse (nach Rinza & Schmitz, 1992) durchgeführt. Fast alle im Fragebogen erfassten Variablen hatten sich zwischen der ersten und zweiten Befragung signifikant verbessert (Arbeitsintensität, Tätigkeitsspielraum, Motivationspotenzial der Tätigkeit, soziale Unterstützung, sozialen Stressoren, Commitment, Arbeitszufriedenheit, allgemeines Befinden, psychosomatische Beschwerden). Nicht signifikant waren die Änderungen beim (multimodal beeinflussten) Krankenstand, sowie bei der Einschätzung der Führung. Bezüglich der Effektstärke konnte bei 9 der 12 Maßnahmen mindestens ein positiver Unterscheidungseffekt aufgezeigt werden. Bei der Ermittlung des (subjektiv erlebten) Nutzwertes der Maßnahmen kamen alle 12 Maßnahmen in den positiven Bereich. Mit der Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse wurde ein positives Kosten-Nutzen-Verhältnis für 6 der 9 verbleibenden Maßnahmen (zwischen 1:71 und 1:1,5) ermittelt. Diese Ergebnisse wurden kritisch hinterfragt und durch Einbeziehung von Diskontierung, spezifischen Effizienzkriterien, Sensitivitätsanalysen und Worst-Case-Berechnung relativiert (vgl. Anforderungen nach Drummond, O´Brien, Stoddart & Torrance, 1987/1997). Im Vergleich zur Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse wurden bei der Kosten-Nutzwert-Analyse deutlich andere Rangreihen ermittelt. Die kritische Gesamtschau der Ergebnisse ermöglicht spezifische Empfehlungen für fünf Maßnahmengruppen. Es zeigte sich, dass die gemeinsame Erörterung von Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse und Nutzwert zusätzliche und bisher nicht erfasste Aspekte beim Umgang mit den Maßnahmen eröffnet. / The thesis illustrates a longitudinal study in the paper industry. It shows how effects resulting from measures of occupational health promotion may be translated into an estimated economic advantage. The starting point of the study is the high performance cycle (Locke & Latham: 1990). Proceeding from that, appropriate indicators and measuring instruments were selected and tested in several pre-studies. The main instrument is a questionnaire, used in a comparative design before and after the translation of the measures into practice. 320 white- and blue-collar workers took part in the first survey in October 2000 (response rate 89%), whereas 402 workers participated in the second survey which was conducted three years later (response rate 91%). After all, complete data sets for the longitudinal analysis were available from 118 participants. Apart from that personal data concerning absenteeism were used, which were then connected to the questionnaire data on a voluntary basis. Whereas in 2000, in the first survey, 71% of the participants agreed to the connection of their personal data with the questionnaire, 80% agreed to it in the second survey, in 2003. To guarantee the questionnaire?s validity an array of additional methods was used: an objective occupational job analysis (Pohlandt, Schulze, Jordan & Richter, 2002) of 19 different occupations was carried out and the company?s experts evaluated the branches involved by ranking. Furthermore the organizational embedding of occupational health promotion measures was investigated in both surveys with the help of Breucker?s questionnaire (Prevention online, 2000) and additionally 22 structured interviews with the employees took place in order to evaluate the acceptance of the measures conducted. The results of the first employee survey were reported back, discussed and condensed into 12 measures. These 12 measures were then included in the second survey when the employees? active participation in the measures? implementation and their satisfaction with the measures? effects should be evaluated. To determine the measures? actual efficiency an extended cost-benefit-analysis (with reference to Schmidt, Hunter & Pearlman: 1982) and a cost-utility-analysis (with reference to Rinza & Schmitz: 1992) were conducted. Nearly all variables investigated in the questionnaire had significantly improved between the first and the second survey (indicators of job demands, occupational scope, motivational potential of occupation, social support, social stressors, commitment, job satisfaction, well-being, psychosomatic complaints). Changes in (multi-modally influenced) absenteeism and in the evaluation of the management?s style of leadership were not significant. Referring to the effects? impact 9 out of 12 measures proved to be positively significant in at least one criterion, whereas referring to (subjectively felt) utility all 12 measures turned out to be positively significant. In six of the remaining nine measures the cost-benefit-analysis resulted in a positive cost-benefit-relation (between 1:71 and 1:1,5). These results were critically discussed and taking into account discounting, specific result-criteria, sensitivity analyses and worst case assessment (see quality principles by Drummond, O´Brien, Stoddart & Torrance, 1987/1997) finally adjusted. Comparing the cost-benefit and cost-utility analyses resulted in significantly different rankings. The critical overall view allows for specific recommendations for five measure-groups. Finally, the joint discussion of the cost-benefit analysis and utility turned out to open up additional aspects of how to conduct the measures in future, which have not been described so far.

Au Canada, il y a environ 21 000 décès et 84 069 hospitalisations liés à un infarctus du myocarde (IM) par année, ce qui représente environ 1,27 milliard de dollars canadiens ($ CA) en coûts directs reliés aux traitements aigus et chroniques. Parmi ces traitements, la double thérapie antiplaquettaire (DAPT) a été démontrée efficace pour diminuer le risque de complications reliées à l’IM. Cependant, malgré ces avantages cliniques, la persistance au traitement observée dans la vie réelle au Québec avec le DAPT à base de ticagrélor est inférieure à celle des autres inhibiteurs du récepteur P2Y12. L’objectif de ce projet était d’élaborer un modèle décisionnel permettant d’évaluer le rapport coût-utilité du ticagrélor-DAPT dans des conditions de persistance imparfaite chez les patients québécois souffrant d’IM et ainsi, déterminer si une intervention à l’échelle de la province visant à accroître la persistance serait justifiable. Un arbre de décision, modélisant l’évolution des patients atteints d’un IM sur une période d’un an, a été développé pour comparer quatre durées de persistance avec une observance parfaite avec le ticagrélor-DAPT (3, 6, 9 et 12 mois) à une stratégie d’observance parfaite avec 12 mois de clopidogrel-DAPT (traitement de référence). Trois événements cliniques ont été modélisés : l’IM récurent, le décès cardiovasculaire et le saignement majeur. Les probabilités de ces événements ont été extraites d’essais cliniques randomisés pertinents en utilisant les courbes de survie de Kaplan-Meier publiées. Les utilités nécessaires pour calculer les QALYs ont été dérivées de la littérature. Les coûts ont été estimés à partir de la littérature canadienne et de la liste des médicaments de la Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec et ont été exprimés en $ CA de 2018. L’analyse principale consistait en une simulation probabiliste de Monte-Carlo. À un coût moyen par année de vie gagnée ajustée pour la qualité de vie (QALY) de 43 398 $ CA, les résultats de l’analyse principale ont démontré que 3 mois de ticagrélor-DAPT avait 59,31 % des chances d’être rentable à un seuil décisionnel (« willingness-to-pay ») de 50 000 $ CA par QALY. De plus, les analyses de sensibilité démontrent que le rapport coût-efficacité du ticagrélor-DAPT était sensible au coût du décès cardiovasculaire et au coût du ticagrélor. En présumant un coût de ticagrélor compatible avec un médicament générique, 3 mois, 6 mois et 9 mois de ticagrélor-DAPT étaient dominants et 12 mois de ticagrélor-DAPT avaient une forte probabilité d'être rentable (98,8 %). Cette analyse en arrive aussi à la conclusion que 3 mois de ticagrélor-DAPT sont probablement rentables par rapport à 12 mois de clopidogrel-DAPT. Avec un niveau de preuve de modéré à fort, nous concluons donc qu'aucune intervention particulière n'est justifiée en ce qui concerne la politique provinciale pour améliorer le taux de persistance au ticagrélor après un IM. / In Canada, there are approximately 21,000 deaths and 84,069 hospitalizations related to myocardial infarction (MI) per year, representing approximately Can$1.27 billion in direct costs related to acute and chronic care. Despite the demonstrated health benefits of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after an MI, observed real-world persistence to treatment with ticagrelor-based DAPT in Québec is lower than that observed with other P2Y12 receptor inhibitors. The objective of this project was to develop a decision-making model to evaluate the cost-utility ratio of ticagrelor-DAPT under conditions of imperfect persistence in Quebec patients suffering from MI, and thus to determine whether a province-wide intervention to increase persistence would be justifiable. A decision tree describing the patient course in the first year following an MI was developed in order to compare four different durations of persistence with perfect adherence with ticagrelor-DAPT (3, 6, 9 and 12 months) to perfect adherence with a 12-month regimen clopidogrel-DAPT (reference treatment). Three clinical events were modeled: recurrent MI, cardiovascular death and major bleeding. The probabilities of these events were extracted from relevant randomized clinical trials using published Kaplan-Meier survival curves. The utilities needed to calculate the QALYs were derived from the literature. The costs were estimated from the Canadian literature and the list of medications from the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec and were expressed in Can$ 2018. The reference case analysis consisted of a probabilistic Monte Carlo simulation. At a mean cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained of Can$43,398, the results of the base case analysis showed that 3 months of ticagrelor-DAPT had a 59.31% likelihood of being considered cost-effective using a willingness-to-pay threshold of Can$50,000/QALY. Moreover, the sensitivity analyses showed that the cost-effectiveness of ticagrelor-DAPT was sensitive to the cost of cardiovascular death and the cost of ticagrelor. Assuming a cost of ticagrelor compatible with a generic drug, the 4 durations of persistence with ticagrelor-DAPT are almost guaranteed to be profitable. When a generic cost of ticagrelor was assumed, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months of ticagrelor-DAPT were dominant and 12 months of ticagrelor-DAPT were highly likely to be cost-effective (98.8%). This analysis also conclude that as little as 3 months of ticagrelor-DAPT is likely to be cost-effective compared to 12 months of clopidogrel-DAPT. With a moderate to strong level of evidence, we therefore conclude that no specific intervention is warranted at the provincial policy level to improve persistence rate with ticagrelor treatment after MI.

This thesis discusses housing issues and its solutions in a village named Kobylí. The theoretical part focuses on introducing the issues by defining basic concepts related to housing, local real estate market and evaluating feasibility of projects. The thesis provides an overview of current as well as historic data and graphs related to housing. In the practical part, a feasibility study is presented and focuses on an economic evaluation of a construction of a new apartment building in Kobylí, followed by requirements assessment such as an effectiveness of critical variables and a crucial input value from the investor's point of view. Lastly, this thesis identifies and defines new tenants of the building which is offering appartemnts, and evaluates whether the tenants can afford housing in their new apartment.