Involvement of Patients and Medical Professionals in the Assessment of Relative Effectiveness: A Need for Closer Cooperation

ObjectivesInvolvement of patients and medical professionals in assessment of relative effectiveness (relative effectiveness assessment) contributes to an efficient and effective health technology assessment (HTA) process and supports acceptance and implementation of the outcome. This study aimed to analyze stakeholder involvement in assessing relative effectiveness and how the parties involved value this collaboration.MethodsThis is a document analysis of all drug assessments completed in 2019 (20) by the public HTA agency of The Netherlands, enriched with semistructured interviews with employees of the HTA agency (18) and representatives of patient (5) and medical (11) associations involved in these assessments. Data were analyzed, coded, and categorized.ResultsIn almost half of the assessments, there was no coordination with the medical associations at the start of the relative effectiveness assessment and no patient associations involved in this phase. During the assessment procedure, patient and medical associations were always asked to comment on the draft report. Nevertheless, the strict 5-day deadline that the HTA agency uses as a response period often hampered a proper response and involvement. According to interviewees of the HTA agency, this leads to a great diversity in the substantive quality of their input. Patient and medical associations indicated that the HTA agency relies too much on “paper knowledge,” which leads to a (perceived) lack of alignment with clinical practice.ConclusionsThe limited involvement results in a lack of coordination and mutual trust. Optimizing involvement of patients and medical professionals in HTA practice requires effort from all parties involved. Procedural adjustments and better coordination, especially at the start of the assessment, would probably improve cooperation.     

杨宇飞教授舌癌的中医康复治疗与验案两则＊

舌癌患者手术及放化疗后会出现构音障碍、吞咽困难、口腔黏膜炎、口干、营养不良等并发症，使患者生存质量下降，甚至导致肿瘤的复发转移，影响生存期，单一方法往往顾此失彼。依托于中国中医科学院西苑医院肿瘤康复基地，杨宇飞教授在国内外调研考察基础上，结合中国国情，构建了一种“门诊多学科肿瘤康复模式”，在舌癌康复方面，以患者为中心，以中医肿瘤内科为主导，多学科共同参与，结合康复科、口腔科、营养科、药剂科等各科优势，形成全程个体化规范序贯康复方案，对患者及早进行康复，在放疗前进行预防性干预尤其重要，使患者能够快速缓解手术和放疗的不良反应，患者获益明显。现取两个典型案例总结其舌癌多学科康复的经验，以期为舌癌的康复提供借鉴。     

轴向载荷分担比指导外固定器动力化的临床应用

目的:探讨轴向载荷分担比用于胫腓骨骨干骨折术后指导外固定器轴向动力化促进骨折愈合的有效性。方法:选取外固定器治疗的胫腓骨骨干骨折患者100例,随机分为观察组50例,对照组50例。观察组在轴向载荷分担比指导下行外固定器轴向动力化治疗,对照组未行动力化,随访比较两组的治疗效果。结果:所有患者均获随访,随访时间4～12个月,平均6.5个月,治疗期间所有患者均未出现外固定针断裂、松动及再骨折等并发症,观察组1例骨搬移患者轴向载荷分担比5%,X线片显示骨折断端有连续性骨痂通过,拆除外固定器连接杆后发生移位,恢复原数值行轴向加压再动力化,现已愈合。观察组除外1例骨搬移患者,其余49例患者外固定器固定时间为[(24.4±4.7)周],骨折临床愈合时间为[(22.4±4.7)周],与对照组50例患者外固定器固定时间[(29.3±5.6)周],骨折临床愈合时间[(27.3±5.6)周]比较,显著减少(P0.05)。结论:外固定器轴向载荷分担比指导胫腓骨骨干骨折外固定术后轴向动力化可以加速骨折愈合,但不适合骨搬移截骨端已硬化患者。     

The formation of physician patient sharing networks in medicare: Exploring the effect of hospital affiliation

This study explores the forces that drive the formation of physician patient sharing networks. In particular, I examine the degree to which hospital affiliation drives physicians' sharing of Medicare patients. Using a revealed preference framework where observed network links are taken to be pairwise stable, I estimate the physicians' pair‐specific values using a tetrad maximum score estimator that is robust to the presence of unobserved physician specific characteristics. I also control for a number of potentially confounding patient sharing channels, such as (a) common physician group or hospital system affiliation, (b) physician homophily, (c) knowledge complementarity, (d) patient side considerations related to both geographic proximity and insurance network participation, and (e) spillover from other collaborations. Focusing on the Chicago hospital referral region, I find that shared hospital affiliation accounts for 36.5% of the average pair‐specific utility from a link. Implications for reducing care fragmentation are discussed.     

不同髋关节骨病晚期“异病同证”临证探析

"异病同证"是中医学对病证关系的特殊认识,起初是指不同的病具有相同的病机,从而表现出相同的证候,反映了中医学辨证论治的特点,在临证中主要体现在一方用于治疗多种病证。随着病证结合诊疗模式的形成,"异病同证"的含义也发生了变化,多指西医诊断不同疾病在其发展的过程中出现了相同的病机,从而表现出相同的证候。股骨头坏死、髋骨关节炎、类风湿性髋关节炎是发于髋关节骨骼、软骨及滑膜的3个不同解剖组织的3种疾病,在疾病的晚期出现了髋关节疼痛、活动受限的症状和腰膝酸软、行走无力的证候,无论是症状体征或中医证候,均表现出其相似性,体现着中医学"异病同证"的思想,本文从临床症状、影像变化、中医证候特点、病因病机及临床治疗方面探析3种疾病的趋同性和差异性,结果发现,除了临床症状体征相似,3种髋关节骨病晚期均见关节软骨退变、关节间隙狭窄、关节积液、滑膜增厚、骨质增生及软骨下骨囊变等相似X射线表现;肾藏精、主骨生髓,只有肾精充足,筋骨方可得以骨髓充养,肝藏血、主筋,肝血充足筋骨才能濡养,病至晚期,3种疾病与肝肾脏腑功能失常密切相关,肝肾不足、经脉筋骨失养是3种髋关节骨病晚期的共同病机,肝肾亏虚、腰膝酸软、行走无力亦成为其共同证候。不仅为"同证"提供理论依据,也有助于"异病"的鉴别诊断、提高髋关节疾病的诊断水平、丰富中医学"异病同证"的内涵。     

Risk sharing in managed entry agreements—A review of the Swedish experience

BackgroundIn 2014 managed entry agreements (MEA) between Swedish health care payers (county councils), the reimbursement authority (the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV)) and pharmaceutical companies were introduced to facilitate early and equal access to treatments. MEAs complement the value-based pricing system for out-patient drugs and enables stake-holders to negotiate risk-sharing agreements.AimThe aim of the study was to review existing agreements, describe the type of uncertainty dealt with, and to analyze incentives created using the literature on performance-based reimbursement schemes in Sweden.MethodA document review of all agreements made in the period January 2015 to August 2019 was conducted, classifying agreements by the type of uncertainty dealt with.ResultsAgreements were made for 56 products during the studied time period (45 ongoing), mainly in the fields of hepatitis C (n = 10) and oncology (n = 14). Uncertainties addressed in ongoing agreements included size of treated population (10), treatment duration (13), and effectiveness (9). The mechanism for risk-sharing was limited to refunds based on patient numbers, duration or just flat-rate refunds. The estimated refund in 2018 was 50 % of total sales.DiscussionThis review show that the main driver behind risk sharing in Sweden so far have seem to be affordability rather than managing uncertainty.     

医院信息化系统在武汉新冠肺炎防疫救治过程中暴露出的问题及其引发的思考

目的针对武汉地区医院信息化系统在新型冠状病毒肺炎(简称新冠肺炎)防疫救治过程中暴露出的问题,提出应对突发公共卫生事件时医院信息化的完善方法。方法充分分析医院信息化系统在新冠肺炎防疫救治中所暴露出的各个医院信息化系统结构不同、各个医院之间无法实施信息共享、门诊病房之间系统相互独立、数据信息更新不及时等九大问题,并提出医院信息化基础布局的建立、区域链及大数据临床中的应用等多项措施。结果医院信息化能力的提高有助于降低医护人员工作强度,提高患者的安全。结论新冠肺炎疫情的发生给我国医院信息化系统带来了严峻的挑战,但同时也给我们带来了更大的机遇。我国在未来针对突发公共卫生事件时,医院信息化将为医护人员、患者提供更有利的支持。