Access tests to specialized health training for doctors and other healthcare professionals in Spain: examining the exam and the examined candidates

Objectives

This study examines the accessing tests to Specialised Health Training for 2005 and 2006 calls. It aims to assess the quality of exams and explore candidates’ variables that allow predicting the final score.

Methods

The Ministry of Health provided the 23,136 candidates’ answer from both calls, plus demographic variables and the normalised value of their student record.

Results

Item's analysis is made from candidates’ answers for evaluating the test reliability. In addition, it's been calculated linear regression models for studying which variables allow predicting a candidate's final score.

Conclusions

the accessing tests to Specialised Health Training have excellent psychometric quality. It would be improved by reducing the number of choices and eliminating some items more afterwards. Finally, Spanish students are the ones who achieved best adjusted mean score.     

Relación entre sistemas de costes y gasto hospitalario

Objective

To analyze the relationship between the degree of development of hospital cost systems (CS) implemented by the regional health services (RHS) and the variation in unit cost of hospitals in Spanish National Health Service (NHS) between 2010 and 2013 and to identify other explanatory factors of this variation.

Analysis of the costs and cost-effectiveness of the guidelines recommended by the 2018 GESIDA/Spanish National AIDS Plan for initial antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected adults

Background

The GESIDA/National AIDS Plan expert panel recommended preferred regimens (PR), alternative regimens (AR) and other regimens (OR) for antiretroviral treatment (ART) as initial therapy in HIV-infected patients for 2018. The objective of this study was to evaluate the costs and the efficiency of initiating treatment with PR and AR.

Costs and cost-efficacy analysis of the 2017 GESIDA/Spanish National AIDS Plan recommended guidelines for initial antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected adults

Introduction

GESIDA and the Spanish National AIDS Plan panel of experts have recommended preferred (PR), alternative (AR) and other regimens (OR) for antiretroviral therapy (ART) as initial therapy in HIV-infected patients for 2017. The objective of this study was to evaluate the costs and the efficiency of initiating treatment with PR and AR.

Costes indirectos asociados al glioblastoma. Experiencia en un centro

Introduction

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumour. Despite advances in treatment, its prognosis remains dismal, with a mean survival time of about 14 months. Many articles have addressed direct costs, those associated with the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Indirect costs, those associated with loss of productivity due to the disease, have seldom been described.

Do Saharan Dust Days Carry a Risk of Hospitalization From Respiratory Diseases for Citizens of the Canary Islands (Spain)?

BackgroundSaharan dust meets the Canary Islands at the beginning of its westward path across the North Atlantic, exceeding the European daily levels for PM10; for this reason, their two provincial capital cities, constitute optimal sites where to evaluate the health effects of this natural event.ObjectivesTo assess the short-term association between Saharan Dust Days (SDDs) and respiratory morbidity in the two capital cities.MethodsWe carried out a time-series analysis with daily emergency hospital admissions due to all respiratory system diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma between 2001 and 2005, assessing the independent effect of SDDs, defined according to the application of the methodology accepted by the European Environmental Office. We also examined accumulated effect, and some other specific SDDs’ features.ResultsWe found a short-term association between SDDs and the increase in admission risk for the three outcomes during concurrent SDDs, compared to non-SDDs, that spread from 0 to 5th day: 22.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.4, 36.0) for all respiratory diseases and 29.9% (95%CI: 6.6, 58.4) for COPD in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and 33.4% (95%CI: −2.1,82.0) for asthma in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. We obtained a robust association when Saharan dust transported at low altitude, when SDDs belonged to long episodes (≥5 days), from the fifth SDD onwards and those SDDs with medium (50 < PM< 150) or high (≥150) PM10 levels.ConclusionsWe found evidence that SDDs carry a risk of emergency hospital admission from respiratory diseases in the Canary Islands.