Research priorities to increase vaccination coverage in Europe (EU joint action on vaccination)

BackgroundDeciding how best to invest in healthcare is never an easy task and prioritization is therefore an area of great interest for policymakers. Too low public vaccine confidence, which results in insufficient vaccine uptake, remains an area of concern for EU policy-makers. Within the European Joint action on vaccination, a work-package dedicated to research aims to define tools and methods for priority‐setting in the field of vaccination research. We therefore propose a prioritization framework to identify research priorities towards generating and synthesizing evidence to support policies and strategies aiming at increasing vaccine coverage.Materials/methodsWe used a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method inspired by the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative developed by Rudan et al. This quantitative methodology follows a series of steps involving different groups of experts and relevant stakeholders. The first step consists in identifying key research questions through a broad consultation. In parallel, a first group of experts is tasked to select criteria for prioritization of research questions, taking into consideration the ultimate goal of the exercise. Another group of experts is then requested to assess a weight to each of the criteria, using pair-wise comparisons. The final step consists in gathering experts who will assess each research question against the weighted criteria. This evaluation leads to assigning a score to each individual research question, which can then be ranked in order of priority.ResultsWe focused our work on four pre-selected pilot vaccines (pertussis, measles containing combination vaccines, influenza and HPV). The consultation generated 124 questions, which were secondarily sorted and re-worded to obtain 27 questions to be ranked. Criteria for setting priorities were the following: accessibility, answerability, deliverability, disease prevalence/incidence, effectiveness, equity, generalization, and territory. During a final face-to-face meeting international experts ranked the 27 questions and agreed on a consensual list of six top-priorities.ConclusionsWe have developed a transparent, evidence-based rigorous framework to defined key research questions to generate evidence towards the design of policies and strategies to increase vaccine coverage. Results were disseminated broadly and submitted to the EC for potential funding in the context of The Horizon Europe Program. The same process will be conducted in 2021 to identify vaccination research priorities regarding all vaccines used in the EU as well as COVID-19 vaccines.     

The association between decision-making skills and subjective decision outcomes among administrative officers in the Swedish Social Insurance Agency

Social insurance administrative officers’ decision-making skills influence their efficiency at work and their general well-being. At work their tasks are characterised by complexity and a need for order and accountability. Moreover, cases should usually be handled and finalised within the imposed time frames. We investigated skills related to decision-making success among social insurance officers. In total, 118 administrative officers at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (66% response rate) responded to questions on scales and measures relating to cognitive-rational, socio-emotional and time approach features of decision-making skill. In addition, they responded to questions on three scales pertaining to outcomes of everyday decisions in terms of subjective everyday difficulties, tendencies to burnout and depressive symptoms. The results showed that cognitive-rational competence was associated with lower reports of subjective everyday difficulties and depressive symptoms and thereby contributed to the explained variance in decision outcomes. Furthermore, socio-emotional and time approach features of decision-making skills contributed to the explanation for subjective everyday difficulties, tendencies to burnout and depressive symptoms. The results corroborate the basic assumption and usefulness of a broad approach in the definition and assessment of decision-making skills in human service professions in general, and of administrative officers in social insurance agencies in particular. Recommendations for future research and the implications of the results are discussed.     

混合遗传算法在随机规划问题中的应用

以含有机会约束的生产管理动态规划问题为例,基于随机模拟技术的混合遗传算法实现最优化决策,构造了数学模型。采用ＶＢ编辑,计算机模拟结果显示该模型能很好解决生产过程中的最优化决策问题,它是简单的基于二进制编码的遗传算法所不能解决的。该算法具有很高的鲁棒性,避免了在局部最优解附近徘徊,且因为随机规划问题要求许多数学知识,而算法本身并不要求对优化问题的性质作一些深入的数学分析,从而对那些不太熟悉数学理论和     

Epidemiological aids to clinical decision making in primary open angle glaucoma

We have described the epidemiological analysis of one aspect of the King's College Hospital computerised data base; namely initial intraocular pressure as an indicator of visual field loss. The methods involved the use of the four-fold table to determine sensitivity and specificity at different pressure levels. From these results (1) the changes in the pre and post test probability of field loss are calculated and (2) a sensitivity/specificity trade off curve or decision curve is constructed. In this way the optimal cut-off level or operating point for a population of specific type and composition can be determined. The factors concerned in decision making are always complex but such an approach allows a rational and quantifiable alternative to reliance on clinical impression and intuition. The results have significance in relation to decisions on the management of patients and on population screening programmes for glaucoma.     

正交试验法优选失笑滴丸的滴制工艺

 目的:采用正交试验法对失笑滴丸的滴制工艺进行优选试验。方法:选择药液温度、滴头口径、药物与基质的配比、浦速等4因素，每个因素各取3个水平，按L₉(3)⁴正交表安排实验，用3个指标评定工艺的优劣。结果:采用药液温度为95℃,滴头口径内径为3.3 mm、外径为5.2 mm，药物与基质的配比为3.5:6.5,以40滴· min^-1的滴速滴入甲基硅油中的工艺条件最佳。结论:用正交试验法优选失笑滴丸的滴制工艺是可行的。     

Comparing Medications in a Therapeutic Area Using an NNT Model

OBJECTIVES: Clinicians are told to use the number needed to treat (NNT) to compare the benefits of therapeutic strategies, and researchers are asked to report results this way, generally without considering differences among the studies from which these were derived. METHODS: The crude NNT currently advocated is compared to the NNT standardized for a common outcome, follow-up time, study population and comparator. An NNT model for cardiovascular disease is described as an example that addresses differences among studies of secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Crude NNTs are compared to those obtained from the model. RESULTS: Follow-up in the 18 trials identified varied from 1.0 to 6.2 years; rates of cardiovascular events in the untreated subgroups ranged from 4.8% to 45.9%. The crude NNTs were more variable (9.1-163.7) than those obtained from the model (9.1-75.2). The effect of standardization was substantial in some cases, with proportional changes ranging from a 91% decrease to a 223% increase. CONCLUSION: Using an NNT model to account for differences in study design allows for more meaningful comparisons.     

飞秒激光制瓣与机械板层刀制瓣的LASIK术后临床疗效的比较

目的：比较飞秒激光制瓣的LASIK(Femto-LASIK)与经典的机械板层刀制瓣的准分子激光原位角膜磨镶术两种手术方式矫治近视患者的安全性、有效性及术后视觉质量的区别。

方法：回顾性病例对照研究,选取2016-07/2017-06在襄阳市中心医院飞秒激光中心进行板层刀制瓣-LASIK(62例124眼)或Femto-LASIK(58例116眼)手术的近视患者120例240眼。测量两种不同制瓣术式中制作的角膜瓣厚度以及术后视力、屈光状态及角膜地形图参数和像差等并进行比较。

结果：所有患者角膜瓣均制作成功,并且都顺利地完成了手术,术中及术后无明显的并发症发生。术后两组间患者的裸眼视力、屈光度差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。术中Femto-LASIK组制作的角膜瓣厚度与预设差值小于板层刀制瓣-LASIK组(t=26.67,P<0.01),且球差、彗差和总高阶像差增幅均小于板层刀制瓣-LASIK组(t=-4.16、-4.92、-22.19,均P<0.01)。板层刀制瓣-LASIK组和Femto-LASIK术后角膜表面规则指数(SRI)分别为0.31±0.09、0.25±0.04,二者比较差异有统计学意义(t=6.59,P<0.01)。

结论：飞秒激光制作角膜瓣比板层刀制瓣较为精确,并且术后角膜的像差相对较小,飞秒激光制瓣可提供相对较好的视觉质量,但是这两种制瓣方式术后患者的裸眼视力和屈光状态无明显差异。