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Gauvreau CL, Schreyer L, Gibson PJ, Koo A, Ungar WJ, Regier D, Chan K, Hayeems R, Gibson J, Palmer A, Peacock S, Denburg AE. Development of a Value Assessment Framework for Pediatric Health Technologies Using Multicriteria Decision Analysis: Expanding the Value Lens for Funding Decision Making. Value Health 2024:S1098-3015(24)00127-X. [PMID: 38548179 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2024.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A health technology assessment (HTA) does not systematically account for the circumstances and needs of children and youth. To supplement HTA processes, we aimed to develop a child-tailored value assessment framework using a multicriteria decision analysis approach. METHODS We constructed a multicriteria-decision-analysis-based model in multiple phases to create the Comprehensive Assessment of Technologies for Child Health (CATCH) framework. Using a modified Delphi process with stakeholders having broad disciplinary and geographic variation (N = 23), we refined previously generated criteria and developed rank-based weights. We established a criterion-pertinent scoring rubric for assessing incremental benefits of new drugs. Three clinicians independently assessed comprehension by pilotscoring 9 drugs. We then validated CATCH for 2 childhood cancer therapies through structured deliberation with an expert panel (N = 10), obtaining individual scores, consensus scores, and verbal feedback. Analyses included descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, exploratory disagreement indices, and sensitivity analysis. RESULTS The modified Delphi process yielded 10 criteria, based on absolute importance/relevance and agreed importance (median disagreement indices = 0.34): Effectiveness, Child-specific Health-related Quality of Life, Disease Severity, Unmet Need, Therapeutic Safety, Equity, Family Impacts, Life-course Development, Rarity, and Fair Share of Life. Pilot scoring resulted in adjusted criteria definitions and more precise score-scaling guidelines. Validation panelists endorsed the framework's key modifiers of value. Modes of their individual prescores aligned closely with deliberative consensus scores. CONCLUSIONS We iteratively developed a value assessment framework that captures dimensions of child-specific health and nonhealth gains. CATCH could improve the richness and relevance of HTA decision making for children in Canada and comparable health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy L Gauvreau
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Leighton Schreyer
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Paul J Gibson
- McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alicia Koo
- Department of Pharmacy, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dean Regier
- BC Cancer Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kelvin Chan
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robin Hayeems
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer Gibson
- Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Antonia Palmer
- Ac4orn: Advocacy for Canadian Childhood Cancer Research Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stuart Peacock
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Cancer Control Research, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Avram E Denburg
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Haematology/Oncology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Henry E, Al-Janabi H, Brouwer W, Cullinan J, Engel L, Griffin S, Hulme C, Kingkaew P, Lloyd A, Payakachat N, Pennington B, Peña-Longobardo LM, Prosser LA, Shah K, Ungar WJ, Wilkinson T, Wittenberg E. Recommendations for Emerging Good Practice and Future Research in Relation to Family and Caregiver Health Spillovers in Health Economic Evaluations: A Report of the SHEER Task Force. Pharmacoeconomics 2024; 42:343-362. [PMID: 38041698 PMCID: PMC10861630 DOI: 10.1007/s40273-023-01321-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Omission of family and caregiver health spillovers from the economic evaluation of healthcare interventions remains common practice. When reported, a high degree of methodological inconsistency in incorporating spillovers has been observed. AIM To promote emerging good practice, this paper from the Spillovers in Health Economic Evaluation and Research (SHEER) task force aims to provide guidance on the incorporation of family and caregiver health spillovers in cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis. SHEER also seeks to inform the basis for a spillover research agenda and future practice. METHODS A modified nominal group technique was used to reach consensus on a set of recommendations, representative of the views of participating subject-matter experts. Through the structured discussions of the group, as well as on the basis of evidence identified during a review process, recommendations were proposed and voted upon, with voting being held over two rounds. RESULTS This report describes 11 consensus recommendations for emerging good practice. SHEER advocates for the incorporation of health spillovers into analyses conducted from a healthcare/health payer perspective, and more generally inclusive perspectives such as a societal perspective. Where possible, spillovers related to displaced/foregone activities should be considered, as should the distributional consequences of inclusion. Time horizons ought to be sufficient to capture all relevant impacts. Currently, the collection of primary spillover data is preferred and clear justification should be provided when using secondary data. Transparency and consistency when reporting on the incorporation of health spillovers are crucial. In addition, given that the evidence base relating to health spillovers remains limited and requires much development, 12 avenues for future research are proposed. CONCLUSIONS Consideration of health spillovers in economic evaluations has been called for by researchers and policymakers alike. Accordingly, it is hoped that the consensus recommendations of SHEER will motivate more widespread incorporation of health spillovers into analyses. The developing nature of spillover research necessitates that this guidance be viewed as an initial roadmap, rather than a strict checklist. Moreover, there is a need for balance between consistency in approach, where valuable in a decision making context, and variation in application, to reflect differing decision maker perspectives and to support innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Henry
- J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Hareth Al-Janabi
- Health Economics Unit, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Werner Brouwer
- Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - John Cullinan
- J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Lidia Engel
- Monash University Health Economics Group, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Susan Griffin
- Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York, UK
| | - Claire Hulme
- Institute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Pritaporn Kingkaew
- Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP), Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
| | | | - Nalin Payakachat
- Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Becky Pennington
- School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Lisa A Prosser
- Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Koonal Shah
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, London, UK
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute/University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas Wilkinson
- Health Economics Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Eve Wittenberg
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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Lamsal R, Yeh EA, Pullenayegum E, Ungar WJ. A Systematic Review of Methods Used by Pediatric Cost-Utility Analyses to Include Family Spillover Effects. Pharmacoeconomics 2024; 42:199-217. [PMID: 37945777 PMCID: PMC10810985 DOI: 10.1007/s40273-023-01331-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A child's health condition affects family members' health and well-being. However, pediatric cost-utility analysis (CUA) commonly ignores these family spillover effects leading to an incomplete understanding of the cost and benefits of a child's health intervention. Methodological challenges exist in assessing, valuing, and incorporating family spillover effects. OBJECTIVE This study systematically reviews and compare methods used to include family spillover effects in pediatric CUAs. METHODS A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, EconLit, Cochrane collection, CINAHL, INAHTA, and the Pediatric Economic Database Evaluation (PEDE) database from inception to 2020 to identify pediatric CUAs that included family spillover effects. The search was updated to 2021 using PEDE. The data describing in which family members spillover effects were measured, and how family spillover effects were measured, incorporated, and reported, were extracted. Common approaches were grouped conceptually. Further, this review identified theories or theoretical frameworks used to justify approaches for integrating family spillover effects into CUA. RESULTS Of 878 pediatric CUAs identified, 35 included family spillover effects. Most pediatric CUAs considered family spillover effects on one family member. Pediatric CUAs reported eight different approaches to measure the family spillover effects. The most common method was measuring the quality-adjusted life years (QALY) loss of the caregiver(s) or parent(s) due to a child's illness or disability using an isolated approach whereby family spillover effects were quantified in individual family members separately from other health effects. Studies used four approaches to integrate family spillover effects into CUA. The most common method was to sum children's and parents/caregivers' QALYs. Only two studies used a theoretical framework for incorporation of family spillover effects. CONCLUSIONS Few pediatric CUAs included family spillover effects and the observed variation indicated no consensus among researchers on how family spillover effects should be measured and incorporated. This heterogeneity is mirrored by a lack of practical guidelines by Health Technology Assessment (HTA) agencies or a theoretical foundation for including family spillover effects in pediatric CUA. The results from this review may encourage researchers to develop a theoretical framework and HTA agencies to develop guidelines for including family spillover effects. Such guidance may lead to more rigorous and standardized methods for including family spillover effects and better-quality evidence to inform decision-makers on the cost-effectiveness of pediatric health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh Lamsal
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - E Ann Yeh
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Eleanor Pullenayegum
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Gattini D, Belza C, Kraus R, Avitzur Y, Ungar WJ, Wales PW. Cost-utility analysis of teduglutide compared to standard care in weaning parenteral nutrition support in children with short bowel syndrome. Clin Nutr 2023; 42:2363-2371. [PMID: 37862822 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS A growing proportion of children with short bowel syndrome (SBS) remain dependent on long-term parenteral nutrition (PN). Teduglutide offers the potential for more children to decrease PN support and achieve enteral autonomy (EA), but at a significant expense. This study aims to assess the incremental costs of teduglutide plus standard of care compared to standard of care alone in weaning PN support per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained in children with SBS. METHODS This is a cost-utility analysis comparing teduglutide with standard of care alone in children with SBS. A microsimulation model of children with SBS on PN aged 1-17 years was constructed over a time horizon of six years, with a cycle length of one month. The study adopted the healthcare system and societal payer perspectives in Ontario, Canada. The health outcome measure was QALYs, with results expressed in terms of incremental costs and QALYs. Scenario analyses were performed to examine the effects of different time horizons, timing of teduglutide initiation, and modeling cost of teduglutide based on pediatric weight-dosing. RESULTS Incremental healthcare system costs for teduglutide compared to standard of care were CAD$441,314 (95% CI, 414,006 to 441,314) and incremental QALYs were 1.80 (95% CI, 1.70 to 1.89) resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of CAD$285,334 (95% CI, 178,209 to 392,459) per QALY gained. Incremental societal costs were CAD$418,504 (95% CI, 409,487 to 427,522) and incremental societal QALYs were 1.91 (95% CI, 1.85 to 1.98) resulting in an ICER of CAD$261,880 (95% CI, 136,887 to 386,874) per QALY gained. Scenario analysis showed that teduglutide was cost-effective when it was started two years after intestinal resection (ICER CAD$48,741, 95% CI, 17,317 to 80,165) and when its monthly cost was adjusted using weight-based dosing, avoiding wastage of the remaining 5 mg dose vial (Teduglutide dominated over SOC as the less costly and most effective strategy). CONCLUSIONS Although teduglutide was not cost-effective in weaning PN support in children with SBS, starting teduglutide once natural intestinal adaptation is reduced and adjusting its monthly cost to reflect cost by volume as dictated by weight-based dosing rendered the intervention cost-effective relative to standard of care. These results indicate the potential for clinicians to re-assess optimal time for initiation of teduglutide after intestinal resection, drug manufacturers to consider the use of multi-dose or paediatric-dose vials, and the opportunity for decision-makers to re-evaluate teduglutide funding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gattini
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christina Belza
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Raphael Kraus
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Pediatric Rheumatologist, Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yaron Avitzur
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul W Wales
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Cincinnati Center of Excellence for Intestinal Rehabilitation (CinCEIR), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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Tsiplova K, Ungar WJ. Why it is so challenging to perform economic evaluations of interventions in autism and what to do about it. Autism Res 2023; 16:2061-2070. [PMID: 37606004 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Economic evaluation is used to determine the optimal provision of services and programs under budget constraints and to inform public and private payer funding decisions. To maximize value-for-money in the design and delivery of programs and services for persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it's essential to generate high-quality economic evidence to inform budget allocation. There is a paucity however, of economic evaluations of interventions for ASD. This is due in part to challenges in conducting economic evaluations in this population and the lack of guidance on suitable approaches. These challenges are related to the inherent heterogeneity of the autistic population; establishing short- and long-term effectiveness; measurement of costs and the availability of valid instruments for collecting economic data; the appropriateness of outcomes for use in economic evaluation; and achieving statistical power. This commentary addresses a lack of awareness and needed guidance on these issues by discussing the challenges and providing recommendations for how economic evaluations in ASD could be improved to generate high-quality evidence for program funding decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Tsiplova
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Ungar WJ, Hayeems RZ, Marshall CR, Gillespie MK, Szuto A, Chisholm C, James Stavropoulos D, Huang L, Jarinova O, Wu V, Tsiplova K, Lau L, Lee W, Venkataramanan V, Sawyer S, Mendoza-Londono R, Somerville MJ, Boycott KM. Protocol for a Prospective, Observational Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Returning Secondary Findings of Genome Sequencing for Unexplained Suspected Genetic Conditions. Clin Ther 2023; 45:702-709. [PMID: 37453830 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although costly, genome-wide sequencing (GWS) detects an extensive range of variants, enhancing our ability to diagnose and assess risk for an increasing number of diseases. In addition to detecting variants related to the indication for testing, GWS can detect secondary variants in BRCA1, BRCA2, and other genes for which early intervention may improve health. As the list of secondary findings grows, there is increased demand for surveillance and management by multiple specialists, adding pressure to constrained health care budgets. Secondary finding testing is actively debated because some consider it opportunistic screening for future health risks that may not manifest. Given the economic implications of secondary finding testing and follow-up and its unproven clinical utility, the objective is to assess the incremental cost-effectiveness of secondary finding ascertainment per case detected and per unit of improved clinical utility in families of children with unexplained suspected genetic conditions undergoing clinical GWS. METHODS Those undergoing trio genome or exome sequencing are eligible for the study. Positive secondary finding index cases will be matched to negative controls (1:2) based on age group, primary result(s) type, and clinical indication. During the 2-year study, 71 cases and 142 matched controls are expected. Health service use will be collected in patients and 1 adult family member every 6 months. The per-child and per-dyad total cost will be determined by multiplying use of each resource by a corresponding unit price and summing all cost items. Costs will be estimated from the public and societal payer perspectives. The mean cost per child and per dyad for secondary finding-positive and secondary finding-negative groups will be compared statistically. If important demographic differences are observed between groups, ordinary least-squares regression, log transformation, or other nonparametric technique will be used to compare adjusted mean costs. The ratio of the difference in mean cost to the secondary finding yield will be used to estimate incremental cost-effectiveness. In secondary analyses, effectiveness will be estimated using the number of clinical management changes due to secondary findings or the Clinician-Reported Genetic Testing Utility Index (C-GUIDE) score, a validated measure of clinical utility. Sensitivity analysis will be undertaken to assess the robustness of the findings to variation in key parameters. IMPLICATIONS This study generates key evidence to inform clinical practice and funding allocation related to secondary finding testing. The inclusion of family members and a new measure of clinical utility represent important advancements in economic evaluation in genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy J Ungar
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Robin Z Hayeems
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christian R Marshall
- Genome Diagnostics, Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meredith K Gillespie
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anna Szuto
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Caitlin Chisholm
- Department of Genetics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - D James Stavropoulos
- Genome Diagnostics, Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lijia Huang
- Department of Genetics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olga Jarinova
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Genetics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vercancy Wu
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kate Tsiplova
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lynnette Lau
- Genome Diagnostics, Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Whiwon Lee
- Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Viji Venkataramanan
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah Sawyer
- Department of Genetics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roberto Mendoza-Londono
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin J Somerville
- Genome Diagnostics, Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kym M Boycott
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Genetics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Hayeems RZ, Luca S, Chad L, Quercia N, Xiao B, Hossain A, Meyn MS, Pullenayegum E, Ungar WJ. Assessing the Performance of the Clinician-reported Genetic Testing Utility InDEx (C-GUIDE): Further Evidence of Inter-rater Reliability. Clin Ther 2023; 45:729-735. [PMID: 37516567 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Advanced genomic and genetic testing technologies are quickly diffusing into clinical practice, but standardized approaches to assessing their clinical utility are limited. Previous work developed and generated preliminary evidence of validity for a novel outcome measure, the Clinician-reported Genetic testing Utility InDEx (C-GUIDE). C-GUIDE is a 17-item measure that captures the utility of genetic testing from the providers' perspective. Preliminary evidence of its inter-rater reliability was obtained through a clinical vignette study. The purpose of this study was to further assess its inter-rater reliability using actual clinical cases. METHODS One genetic counselor and one medical geneticist independently completed C-GUIDE Version 1.1 after genetic test results were disclosed to a shared set of 42 patients. Raters also completed a case description questionnaire, including information about the patient's age, indication for testing, and type of test performed. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by comparing the raters' C-GUIDE scores using ANOVA to generate intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs), absolute agreement, and mixed repeated measures ANOVA. FINDINGS Of the 42 patients studied, the most common indications for testing were hearing loss (n = 18) and craniosynostosis (n = 11), and the most common tests ordered were gene panels (n = 20) and microarrays (n = 10). Test results were diagnostic or partially diagnostic for 11 patients, potentially diagnostic for 14 patients, or nondiagnostic for 17 patients. The overall ICC was 0.95 (95% CI, 0.89-0.97) and absolute agreement was acceptable (>70%) for 15 individual items. Inter-rater agreement was excellent (ICC > 0.90) for 8 items, good (ICC = 0.75-0.89) for 3 items, moderate (ICC = 0.50-0.74) for 4 items and poor (ICC < 0.50) for 2 items. Absolute agreement was unacceptable (<70%), and rater agreement was fair (ICC = 0.40-0.59) for 2 items. For the global rating, the ICC was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.39-0.77), and the absolute agreement was 61.9%. IMPLICATIONS Rater instructions for item completion have been modified to improve consistency of item interpretation. Although further assessments of reliability are warranted after modifications, these findings provide additional tentative evidence of C-GUIDE's inter-rater reliability and suggest that it may be useful as a strategy for measuring the value of genetic testing, as perceived by genetics providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Z Hayeems
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Stephanie Luca
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren Chad
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nada Quercia
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Genetic Counselling, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bowen Xiao
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alomgir Hossain
- Biostatistics, Design and Analysis Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Stephen Meyn
- Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine, The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Eleanor Pullenayegum
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Xie X, Schaink AK, Gao C, Gajic-Veljanoski O, Ungar WJ, Volodin A. Evaluating the correlations of cost and utility parameters from summary statistics for probabilistic analysis in economic evaluations. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2023; 23:901-909. [PMID: 37264680 DOI: 10.1080/14737167.2023.2221436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The correlations between economic modeling input parameters directly impact the variance and may impact the expected values of model outputs. However, correlation coefficients are not often reported in the literature. We aim to understand the correlations between model inputs for probabilistic analysis from summary statistics. METHODS We provide proof that for correlated random variables X and Y (e.g. inpatient visits and outpatient visits), the Pearson correlation coefficients of sample means and samples are equal to each other (c o r r X , Y = c o r r X - , Y - ). Therefore, when studies report summary statistics of correlated parameters, we can quantify the correlation coefficient between parameters. RESULTS We use examples to illustrate how to estimate the correlation coefficient between the incidence rates of non-severe and severe hypoglycemia events, and the common coefficient of five cost components for patients with diabetic foot ulcers. We further introduce three types of correlations for utilities and provide two examples to estimate the correlations for utilities based on published data. We also evaluate how correlations between cost parameters and utility parameters impact the cost-effectiveness results using a Markov model for major depression. CONCLUSION Incorporation of the correlations can improve the precision of cost-effectiveness results and increase confidence in evidence-based decision-making. Further empirical evidence is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanqian Xie
- Health Technology Assessment Program, Ontario Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alexis K Schaink
- Health Technology Assessment Program, Ontario Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Chengyu Gao
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
| | | | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrei Volodin
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Regina, Regina, SK, Canada
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9
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Subasri M, Cressman C, Arje D, Schreyer L, Cooper E, Patel K, Ungar WJ, Barwick M, Denburg A, Hayeems RZ. Translating Precision Health for Pediatrics: A Scoping Review. Children (Basel) 2023; 10:children10050897. [PMID: 37238445 DOI: 10.3390/children10050897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Precision health aims to personalize treatment and prevention strategies based on individual genetic differences. While it has significantly improved healthcare for specific patient groups, broader translation faces challenges with evidence development, evidence appraisal, and implementation. These challenges are compounded in child health as existing methods fail to incorporate the physiology and socio-biology unique to childhood. This scoping review synthesizes the existing literature on evidence development, appraisal, prioritization, and implementation of precision child health. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase were searched. The included articles were related to pediatrics, precision health, and the translational pathway. Articles were excluded if they were too narrow in scope. In total, 74 articles identified challenges and solutions for putting pediatric precision health interventions into practice. The literature reinforced the unique attributes of children and their implications for study design and identified major themes for the value assessment of precision health interventions for children, including clinical benefit, cost-effectiveness, stakeholder values and preferences, and ethics and equity. Tackling these identified challenges will require developing international data networks and guidelines, re-thinking methods for value assessment, and broadening stakeholder support for the effective implementation of precision health within healthcare organizations. This research was funded by the SickKids Precision Child Health Catalyst Grant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathushan Subasri
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Celine Cressman
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Danielle Arje
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Leighton Schreyer
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Erin Cooper
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Komal Patel
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
| | - Melanie Barwick
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
| | - Avram Denburg
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
- Division of Haematology/Oncology, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Robin Z Hayeems
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences Program, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
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10
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Bashir NS, Walters TD, Griffiths AM, Otley A, Critch J, Ungar WJ. A comparison of the Child Health Utility 9D and the Health Utilities Index for estimating health utilities in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Qual Life Res 2023:10.1007/s11136-023-03409-x. [PMID: 37004628 PMCID: PMC10393835 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-023-03409-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Health utilities are challenging to ascertain in children and have not been studied in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The objective was to assess discriminative validity by comparing utilities elicited using the Child Health Utility-9 Dimension (CHU9D) to the Health Utilities Index (HUI) across multiple disease activity scales in pediatric UC and CD. METHODS Preference-based instruments were administered to 188 children with CD and 83 children with UC aged 6 to 18 years. Utilities were calculated using CHU9D adult and youth tariffs, and HUI2 and HUI3 algorithms in children with inactive (quiescent) and active (mild, moderate, and severe) disease. Differences between instruments, tariff sets and disease activity categories and were tested statistically. RESULTS In CD and UC, all instruments detected significantly higher utilities for inactive compared to active disease (p < 0.05). Mean utilities for quiescent disease ranged from 0.810 (SD 0.169) to 0.916 (SD 0.121) in CD and from 0.766 (SD 0.208) to 0.871 (SD 0.186) in UC across instruments. Active disease mean utilities ranged from 0.694 (SD 0.212) to 0.837 (SD 0.168) in CD and from 0.654 (SD 0.226) to 0.800 (SD 0.128) in UC. CONCLUSION CHU9D and HUI discriminated between levels of disease activity in CD and UC regardless of the clinical scale used, with the CHU9D youth tariff most often displaying the lowest utilities for worse health states. Distinct utilities for different IBD disease activity states can be used in health state transition models evaluating the cost-effectiveness of treatments for pediatric CD and UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naazish S Bashir
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas D Walters
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anne M Griffiths
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anthony Otley
- Departments of Paediatrics and Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Division of Gastroenterology & Nutrition, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Jeff Critch
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Janeway Children's Health and Rehabilitation Centre, Memorial University, St. John's, NF, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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11
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Belza C, Avitzur Y, Ungar WJ, Stremler R, Fehlings D, Wales PW. Stress, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life in caregivers of children with intestinal failure receiving parenteral nutrition: A cross-sectional survey study. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2023; 47:342-353. [PMID: 36336350 DOI: 10.1002/jpen.2461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improved survival rates for children with intestinal failure (IF) have resulted in an increased population of children receiving long-term parenteral nutrition (PN). Our objective was to determine burden on caregivers of children with IF receiving long-term PN. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study of caregivers of children with IF receiving long-term PN in our intestinal rehabilitation program. A healthy comparison group matched on age of the child was enrolled. All participants completed standardized questionnaires, including the Parental Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and PedsQL Family Impact Module (PedsQL FIM). Univariate analysis was completed using a Student t test and chi-square, with an alpha value of <0.05 considered significant. RESULTS Thirty-eight caregivers of children with IF and 29 caregivers of healthy children consented, with response rates of 89% and 96.5%, respectively. Our study demonstrated increased stress for caregivers compared with comparison parents (PSI-SF total score of 83 [SD = 26.8] vs 62.9 [SD = 13.5]; P < 0.01). Caregivers had increased anxiety (HADS anxiety score of 9.3 [SD = 4.8] vs 6.7 [SD = 3.2]; P = 0.02) and higher depression scores (HADS depression score of 6.3 [SD = 4.3] vs 4.1 [SD = 2.6]; P = 0.02) compared with the comparison group. Caregivers of children with IF demonstrated decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (reduced PedsQL FIM total score of 50.6 [SD = 18.2] vs 84.1 [SD = 20.5]; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrated significant burden of care in caregivers of children with IF receiving long-term PN, with elevated stress, anxiety, and depression and decreased HRQoL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Belza
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yaron Avitzur
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Robyn Stremler
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Darcy Fehlings
- Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Paul W Wales
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.,Cincinnati Center of Excellence in Intestinal Rehabilitation (CinCEIR), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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12
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Chen YJ, Duku E, Zaidman-Zait A, Szatmari P, Smith IM, Ungar WJ, Zwaigenbaum L, Vaillancourt T, Kerns C, Bennett T, Elsabbagh M, Thompson A, Georgiades S. Variable patterns of daily activity participation across settings in autistic youth: A latent profile transition analysis. Autism 2023; 27:13623613231154729. [PMID: 36855223 PMCID: PMC10576904 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231154729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT What people do or engage in in their daily lives, or daily life participation, is often linked to their state of being happy and healthy, as well as potential for living independently. To date, little research has been conducted on daily activity participation by autistic youth at home, at school or in the community. Learning more about individual differences in participation levels and what might influence them can help to create custom supports for autistic youth and their families. In this study, 158 caregivers of autistic youth were asked how often their children took part in 25 common activities at two assessments, about one year apart. The analysis showed three profiles for each of the home and school settings and two profiles for the community setting. These profiles reflected distinct patterns in how often autistic youth took part in various daily activities, particularly in doing homework, school club activities and community gatherings. Most autistic youth were in profiles marked by often taking part at home but less often at school and in the community, and about three-fourths of them tended to stay in the same profile over time. Autistic youth with limited participation profiles were more likely to have lower scores on measures of cognitive ability and daily life skills and more challenging behaviour, and faced more barriers in their environment. These findings show how important it is to think about each autistic person's strengths and weaknesses, and changing needs, to better support their daily life participation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Peter Szatmari
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- University of Toronto, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada
| | | | - Wendy J Ungar
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada
- University of Toronto, Canada
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13
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Bashir NS, Hughes A, Ungar WJ. Infliximab Pricing in International Economic Evaluations in Inflammatory Bowel Disease to Inform Biologic and Biosimilar Access Policies: A Systematic Review. MDM Policy Pract 2023; 8:23814683231156433. [PMID: 36860664 PMCID: PMC9969457 DOI: 10.1177/23814683231156433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. Policies mandating the use of lower cost biosimilars in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have created concerns for patients who prefer their original biologic. Purpose. To inform the cost-effectiveness of biosimilar infliximab treatment in IBD by systematically reviewing the effect of infliximab price variation on cost-effectiveness for jurisdictional decision making. Data Sources. MEDLINE, Embase, Healthstar, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Health and Psychosocial Instruments, Mental Measurements Yearbook citation databases, PEDE, CEA registry, HTA agencies. Study Selection. Economic evaluations of infliximab for adult or pediatric Crohn's disease and/or ulcerative colitis published from 1998 through 2019 in which drug price was varied in sensitivity analysis were included. Data Extraction. Study characteristics, main findings, and results of drug price sensitivity analyses were extracted. Studies were critically appraised. The cost-effective price of infliximab was determined based on the stated willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds for each jurisdiction. Data Synthesis. Infliximab price was examined in sensitivity analysis in 31 studies. Infliximab showed favorable cost-effectiveness at a price ranging from CAD $66 to $1,260 per vial, depending on jurisdiction. A total of 18 studies (58%) demonstrated cost-effectiveness ratios above the jurisdictional WTP threshold. Limitations. Drug prices were not always reported separately, WTP thresholds varied, and funding sources were not consistently reported. Conclusion. Despite the high cost of infliximab, few economic evaluations examined price variation, limiting the ability to infer the effects of biosimilar introduction. Alternative pricing strategies and access to treatment could be considered to enable IBD patients to maintain access to their current medications. Highlights In an effort to reduce public drug expenditures, Canadian and other jurisdictional drug plans have mandated the use of lower cost, but similarly effective, biosimilars in patients with newly diagnosed inflammatory bowel disease or require a nonmedical switch for established patients. This switch has created concerns for patients and clinicians who want to maintain the ability to make treatment decisions and remain with the original biologic.It is customary for economic evaluations to assess the robustness of results to variations in high-cost items such as medications. In the absence of economic evaluations of biosimilars, examining biologic drug price in sensitivity analysis provides insight into the cost-effectiveness of biosimilar alternatives. A total of 31 economic evaluations of infliximab for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease varied the infliximab price in sensitivity analysis.The infliximab price deemed to be cost-effective within each study ranged from CAD $66 to CAD $1,260 per 100-mg vial. A total of 18 studies (58%) demonstrated an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio above the jurisdictional willingness-to-pay threshold. If policy decisions are based on price, then originator manufacturers could consider reducing the price or negotiating alternative pricing models to enable patients with inflammatory bowel disease to remain on their current medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naazish S. Bashir
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences,
The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Avery Hughes
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and
Evaluation, the University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Wendy J. Ungar, Program of Child Health
Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for
Research and Learning, 686 Bay Street, 11th Floor, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, USA;
()
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14
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Bashir NS, Walters TD, Griffiths AM, Otley A, Critch J, Ungar WJ. A Comparison of Preference-Based, Generic and Disease-Specific Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J Can Assoc Gastroenterol 2023; 6:73-79. [PMID: 37025514 PMCID: PMC10071296 DOI: 10.1093/jcag/gwac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
Generic preference-based HRQOL assessments used expressly for economic evaluation have not been examined in pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The objective was to further assess the construct validity of preference-based HRQOL measures in pediatric IBD by comparing the Child Health Utility 9 Dimensions (CHU9D) and Health Utilities Index (HUI) to the disease-specific IMPACT-III and to the generic PedsQL in children with CD and with UC.
Methods
The CHU9D, HUI, IMPACT-III and/or PedsQL were administered to Canadian children aged 6 to 18 years with CD and UC. CHU9D total and domain utilities were calculated using adult and youth tariffs. HUI total and attribute utilities were determined for the HUI2 and HUI3. Total scores for IMPACT-III and PedsQL were determined. Spearman correlations were calculated between generic preference-based utilities and the IMPACT-III and PedsQL scores.
Results
The questionnaires were administered to 157 children with CD and 73 children with UC. Moderate to strong correlations were observed between the CHU9D, HUI2, HUI3 and the disease-specific IMPACT-III or generic PedsQL. As hypothesized, domains with similar constructs demonstrated stronger correlations, such as the Pain and Well-being domains.
Conclusions
While all questionnaires were moderately correlated with the IMPACT-III and PedsQL questionnaires, the CHU9D using youth tariffs and the HUI3 were most strongly correlated and would be suitable choices to generate health utilities for children with CD or UC for the purpose of economic evaluation of treatments in pediatric IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naazish S Bashir
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute , Toronto, Ontario , Canada
| | - Thomas D Walters
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, IBD Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto, ON , Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
| | - Anne M Griffiths
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, IBD Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto, ON , Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
| | - Anthony Otley
- Departments of Paediatrics and Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada
- Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, IWK Health Centre , Halifax, NS , Canada
| | - Jeff Critch
- Janeway Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre and Department of Pediatrics, Memorial University , St. John’s, NL , Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute , Toronto, Ontario , Canada
- The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON , Canada
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15
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Asare AO, Maurer D, Wong AMF, Saunders N, Ungar WJ. Cost-effectiveness of Universal School- and Community-Based Vision Testing Strategies to Detect Amblyopia in Children in Ontario, Canada. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2249384. [PMID: 36598785 PMCID: PMC9857467 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.49384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Screening for amblyopia in primary care visits is recommended for young children, yet screening rates are poor. Although the prevalence of amblyopia is low (3%-5%) among young children, universal screening in schools and mandatory optometric examinations may improve vision care, but the cost-effectiveness of these vision testing strategies compared with the standard in primary care is unknown. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of universal school screening and mandated optometric examinations compared with standard care vision screening in primary care visits in Toronto, Canada, with the aim of detecting and facilitating treatment of amblyopia and amblyopia risk factors from the Ontario government's perspective. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS An economic evaluation was conducted from July 2019 to May 2021 using a Markov model to compare 15-year costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) between school screening and optometric examination compared with primary care screening in Toronto, Canada. Parameters were derived from published literature, the Ontario Schedule of Benefits and Fees, and the Kindergarten Vision Testing Program. A hypothetical cohort of 25 000 children aged 3 to 5 years was simulated. It was assumed that children in the cohort had irreversible vision impairment if not diagnosed by an optometrist. In addition, incremental costs and outcomes of 0 were adjusted to favor the reference strategy. Vision testing programs were designed to detect amblyopia and amblyopia risk factors. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES For each strategy, the mean costs per child included the costs of screening, optometric examinations, and treatment. The mean health benefits (QALYs) gained were informed by the presence of vision impairment and the benefits of treatment. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated for each alternative strategy relative to the standard primary care screening strategy as the additional cost required to achieve an additional QALY at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50 000 Canadian dollars (CAD) ($37 690) per QALY gained. RESULTS School screening relative to primary care screening yielded cost savings of CAD $84.09 (95% CI, CAD $82.22-$85.95) (US $63.38 [95% CI, US $61.97-$64.78]) per child and an incremental gain of 0.0004 (95% CI, -0.0047 to 0.0055) QALYs per child. Optometric examinations relative to primary care screening yielded cost savings of CAD $74.47 (95% CI, CAD $72.90-$76.03) (US $56.13 [95% CI, $54.95-$57.30]) per child and an incremental gain of 0.0508 (95% CI, 0.0455-0.0561) QALYs per child. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of CAD $50 000 (US $37 690) per QALY gained, school screening and optometric examinations were cost-effective relative to primary care screening in only 20% and 29% of iterations, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, because amblyopia prevalence is low among young children and most children in the hypothetical cohort had healthy vision, universal school screening and optometric examinations were not cost-effective relative to primary care screening for detecting amblyopia in young children in Toronto, Canada. The mean added health benefits of school screening and optometric examinations compared with primary care screening did not warrant the resources used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afua Oteng Asare
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- John Moran Eye Center, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
| | - Daphne Maurer
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Agnes M. F. Wong
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program of Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Natasha Saunders
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Tsiplova K, Ungar WJ, Szatmari P, Cost K, Pullenayegum E, Duku E, Volden J, Smith IM, Waddell C, Zwaigenbaum L, Bennett TA, Elsabbagh M, Georgiades S, Zaidman-Zait A. Measuring the association between behavioural services and outcomes in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Res Dev Disabil 2023; 132:104392. [PMID: 36493738 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receive a wide range of services. AIMS To examine the association between behavioural services received by children with ASD between ages 2 and 5 years and outcomes during primary school years. METHODS A total of 414 preschool-aged children diagnosed with ASD were enrolled at five Canadian sites and were assessed within four months of diagnosis (T1), six months later (T2), 12 months later (T3), at school entry (T4), and then annually (T5-T8) to 11 years of age. The association between the receipt of behavioural services during T1 to T3 and T8 outcomes related to adaptive behaviour and behavioural problems was modelled using linear regressions adjusted for immigrant status, family income, child's age at diagnosis, site, sex assigned at birth, and baseline (T1) outcome. RESULTS Children who received behavioural services during at least one time period from T1 to T3 did not have significantly different outcomes at T8 than children who did not receive any behavioural services. IMPLICATIONS Pre-school use of behavioural services was not found to affect outcomes during later childhood. Numerous challenges accompany studies of the association between pre-school service use and later outcomes in a heterogeneous ASD sample. Recommendations for study design are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Tsiplova
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 11th floor, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 11th floor, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M6, Canada.
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1×8, Canada
| | - Katherine Cost
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1×8, Canada
| | - Eleanor Pullenayegum
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 11th floor, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 0A4, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Eric Duku
- Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP 201A, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, West 5th Campus, Administration B3, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3K7, Canada
| | - Joanne Volden
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, 8205 114 Street, 3-48 Corbett Hall, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G4, Canada
| | - Isabel M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, 5850 University Avenue, P. O. Box 9700, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 6R8, Canada; Autism Research Centre, IWK Health Centre, 4th Floor Link Building, 5850/5980 University Avenue, P.O. Box 9700, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 6R8, Canada
| | - Charlotte Waddell
- Children's Health Policy Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Room 2435, 515 West Hastings Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 5K, Canada
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405-87 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1C9, Canada
| | - Teresa A Bennett
- Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP 201A, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, West 5th Campus, Administration B3, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3K7, Canada
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Stelios Georgiades
- Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP 201A, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, West 5th Campus, Administration B3, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3K7, Canada
| | - Anat Zaidman-Zait
- Department of School Counseling and Special Education, Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; The School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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17
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Butcher NJ, Monsour A, Mew EJ, Chan AW, Moher D, Mayo-Wilson E, Terwee CB, Chee-A-Tow A, Baba A, Gavin F, Grimshaw JM, Kelly LE, Saeed L, Thabane L, Askie L, Smith M, Farid-Kapadia M, Williamson PR, Szatmari P, Tugwell P, Golub RM, Monga S, Vohra S, Marlin S, Ungar WJ, Offringa M. Guidelines for Reporting Outcomes in Trial Protocols: The SPIRIT-Outcomes 2022 Extension. JAMA 2022; 328:2345-2356. [PMID: 36512367 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.21243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Complete information in a trial protocol regarding study outcomes is crucial for obtaining regulatory approvals, ensuring standardized trial conduct, reducing research waste, and providing transparency of methods to facilitate trial replication, critical appraisal, accurate reporting and interpretation of trial results, and knowledge synthesis. However, recommendations on what outcome-specific information should be included are diverse and inconsistent. To improve reporting practices promoting transparent and reproducible outcome selection, assessment, and analysis, a need for specific and harmonized guidance as to what outcome-specific information should be addressed in clinical trial protocols exists. OBJECTIVE To develop harmonized, evidence- and consensus-based standards for describing outcomes in clinical trial protocols through integration with the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) 2013 statement. EVIDENCE REVIEW Using the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) methodological framework, the SPIRIT-Outcomes 2022 extension of the SPIRIT 2013 statement was developed by (1) generation and evaluation of candidate outcome reporting items via consultation with experts and a scoping review of existing guidance for reporting trial outcomes (published within the 10 years prior to March 19, 2018) identified through expert solicitation, electronic database searches of MEDLINE and the Cochrane Methodology Register, gray literature searches, and reference list searches; (2) a 3-round international Delphi voting process (November 2018-February 2019) completed by 124 panelists from 22 countries to rate and identify additional items; and (3) an in-person consensus meeting (April 9-10, 2019) attended by 25 panelists to identify essential items for outcome-specific reporting to be addressed in clinical trial protocols. FINDINGS The scoping review and consultation with experts identified 108 recommendations relevant to outcome-specific reporting to be addressed in trial protocols, the majority (72%) of which were not included in the SPIRIT 2013 statement. All recommendations were consolidated into 56 items for Delphi voting; after the Delphi survey process, 19 items met criteria for further evaluation at the consensus meeting and possible inclusion in the SPIRIT-Outcomes 2022 extension. The discussions during and after the consensus meeting yielded 9 items that elaborate on the SPIRIT 2013 statement checklist items and are related to completely defining and justifying the choice of primary, secondary, and other outcomes (SPIRIT 2013 statement checklist item 12) prospectively in the trial protocol, defining and justifying the target difference between treatment groups for the primary outcome used in the sample size calculations (SPIRIT 2013 statement checklist item 14), describing the responsiveness of the study instruments used to assess the outcome and providing details on the outcome assessors (SPIRIT 2013 statement checklist item 18a), and describing any planned methods to account for multiplicity relating to the analyses or interpretation of the results (SPIRIT 2013 statement checklist item 20a). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This SPIRIT-Outcomes 2022 extension of the SPIRIT 2013 statement provides 9 outcome-specific items that should be addressed in all trial protocols and may help increase trial utility, replicability, and transparency and may minimize the risk of selective nonreporting of trial results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J Butcher
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Monsour
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma J Mew
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - An-Wen Chan
- Department of Medicine, Women's College Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Moher
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evan Mayo-Wilson
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | - Caroline B Terwee
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Methodology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alyssandra Chee-A-Tow
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ami Baba
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frank Gavin
- public panel member, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeremy M Grimshaw
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren E Kelly
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Leena Saeed
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lehana Thabane
- Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa Askie
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Mufiza Farid-Kapadia
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paula R Williamson
- MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership, Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Tugwell
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert M Golub
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Suneeta Monga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sunita Vohra
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Susan Marlin
- Clinical Trials Ontario, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin Offringa
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Neonatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Butcher NJ, Monsour A, Mew EJ, Chan AW, Moher D, Mayo-Wilson E, Terwee CB, Chee-A-Tow A, Baba A, Gavin F, Grimshaw JM, Kelly LE, Saeed L, Thabane L, Askie L, Smith M, Farid-Kapadia M, Williamson PR, Szatmari P, Tugwell P, Golub RM, Monga S, Vohra S, Marlin S, Ungar WJ, Offringa M. Guidelines for Reporting Outcomes in Trial Reports: The CONSORT-Outcomes 2022 Extension. JAMA 2022; 328:2252-2264. [PMID: 36511921 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.21022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Clinicians, patients, and policy makers rely on published results from clinical trials to help make evidence-informed decisions. To critically evaluate and use trial results, readers require complete and transparent information regarding what was planned, done, and found. Specific and harmonized guidance as to what outcome-specific information should be reported in publications of clinical trials is needed to reduce deficient reporting practices that obscure issues with outcome selection, assessment, and analysis. OBJECTIVE To develop harmonized, evidence- and consensus-based standards for reporting outcomes in clinical trial reports through integration with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010 statement. EVIDENCE REVIEW Using the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) methodological framework, the CONSORT-Outcomes 2022 extension of the CONSORT 2010 statement was developed by (1) generation and evaluation of candidate outcome reporting items via consultation with experts and a scoping review of existing guidance for reporting trial outcomes (published within the 10 years prior to March 19, 2018) identified through expert solicitation, electronic database searches of MEDLINE and the Cochrane Methodology Register, gray literature searches, and reference list searches; (2) a 3-round international Delphi voting process (November 2018-February 2019) completed by 124 panelists from 22 countries to rate and identify additional items; and (3) an in-person consensus meeting (April 9-10, 2019) attended by 25 panelists to identify essential items for the reporting of outcomes in clinical trial reports. FINDINGS The scoping review and consultation with experts identified 128 recommendations relevant to reporting outcomes in trial reports, the majority (83%) of which were not included in the CONSORT 2010 statement. All recommendations were consolidated into 64 items for Delphi voting; after the Delphi survey process, 30 items met criteria for further evaluation at the consensus meeting and possible inclusion in the CONSORT-Outcomes 2022 extension. The discussions during and after the consensus meeting yielded 17 items that elaborate on the CONSORT 2010 statement checklist items and are related to completely defining and justifying the trial outcomes, including how and when they were assessed (CONSORT 2010 statement checklist item 6a), defining and justifying the target difference between treatment groups during sample size calculations (CONSORT 2010 statement checklist item 7a), describing the statistical methods used to compare groups for the primary and secondary outcomes (CONSORT 2010 statement checklist item 12a), and describing the prespecified analyses and any outcome analyses not prespecified (CONSORT 2010 statement checklist item 18). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This CONSORT-Outcomes 2022 extension of the CONSORT 2010 statement provides 17 outcome-specific items that should be addressed in all published clinical trial reports and may help increase trial utility, replicability, and transparency and may minimize the risk of selective nonreporting of trial results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J Butcher
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrea Monsour
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma J Mew
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - An-Wen Chan
- Department of Medicine, Women's College Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Moher
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evan Mayo-Wilson
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | - Caroline B Terwee
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Methodology, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alyssandra Chee-A-Tow
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ami Baba
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frank Gavin
- public panel member, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeremy M Grimshaw
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren E Kelly
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
- Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Leena Saeed
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lehana Thabane
- Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa Askie
- NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Mufiza Farid-Kapadia
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paula R Williamson
- MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership, Department of Health Data Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter Tugwell
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert M Golub
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Suneeta Monga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sunita Vohra
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Susan Marlin
- Clinical Trials Ontario, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin Offringa
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Neonatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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19
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Hayeems RZ, Luca S, Hurst ACE, Cochran M, Owens C, Hossain A, Chad L, Meyn MS, Pullenayegum E, Ungar WJ, Bick D. Applying the Clinician-reported Genetic testing Utility InDEx (C-GUIDE) to genome sequencing: further evidence of validity. Eur J Hum Genet 2022; 30:1423-1431. [PMID: 36195708 PMCID: PMC9712646 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-022-01192-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome sequencing (GS) outperforms other rare disease diagnostics, but standardized approaches to assessing its clinical utility are limited. This study assessed the validity of the Clinician-reported Genetic testing Utility InDEx (C-GUIDE), a novel tool for assessing the utility of genetic testing from a clinician's perspective, for GS. C-GUIDE ratings were completed for patients who received GS results. For each patient, total C-GUIDE and single item global scores were calculated. Construct validity was assessed using linear regression to determine the association between C-GUIDE total and global item scores and measure the effects of potential explanatory variables. Ratings were completed for 67 pediatric and 36 adult patients. GS indications were neurological for 70.9% and results were diagnostic for 28.2%. When the C-GUIDE assessed primary (PV), secondary (SV), and pharmacogenomic (PGx) variants, on average, a one unit increase in the global item score was associated with an increase of 7.3 in the C-GUIDE score (p < 0.05). Diagnostic results were associated with an increase in C-GUIDE score of 5.0 compared to non-diagnostic results (p < 0.05) and an increase of one SV was associated with an increase of 2.5 (p < 0.05). For children, decreased age of one year was associated with an increase in C-GUIDE score of 0.3 (p < 0.05). Findings provide evidence that C-GUIDE measures the construct of clinical utility in pediatric and adult rare disease populations and is sensitive to changes in utility related to variant type. Quantifying the clinical utility of GS using C-GUIDE can inform efforts to optimize its use in patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Z. Hayeems
- grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Stephanie Luca
- grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Anna C. E. Hurst
- grid.265892.20000000106344187University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA
| | - Meagan Cochran
- grid.417691.c0000 0004 0408 3720HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Chelsea Owens
- grid.417691.c0000 0004 0408 3720HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL USA
| | - Alomgir Hossain
- grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646Biostatistics, Design and Analysis Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Lauren Chad
- grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646Department of Bioethics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - M. Stephen Meyn
- grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine, The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI USA
| | - Eleanor Pullenayegum
- grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Wendy J. Ungar
- grid.42327.300000 0004 0473 9646Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - David Bick
- grid.417691.c0000 0004 0408 3720HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL USA ,grid.498322.6Present Address: Genomics England, London, England
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20
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Belza C, Ungar WJ, Avitzur Y, Stremler R, Fehlings D, Wales PW. Carrying the Burden: Informal Care Requirements by Caregivers of Children with Intestinal Failure Receiving Home Parenteral Nutrition. J Pediatr 2022; 250:75-82.e3. [PMID: 35660493 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.05.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To measure the time that caregivers spend on tasks related to providing care to their child with intestinal failure receiving home parenteral nutrition (PN). STUDY DESIGN We conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study of caregivers of children with intestinal failure receiving long-term PN followed by our intestinal rehabilitation program. Caregivers completed a daily diary of care-related tasks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Exploratory models were completed to evaluate factors that influenced the amount of time that caregivers spent providing care. SAS University Edition 2018 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC) was used for data analysis with a P value of less than .05 considered significant. RESULTS Thirty-four caregivers of children with intestinal failure consented with response rates of 85%. The mean age of the primary caregiver was 37 ± 7.9 years of age with 97% being the child's mother. The median PN exposure was 1239 days (IQR, 432-3012). Caregivers reported a median of 29.2 hours per week (IQR, 20.8-45.7 hours per week) of direct medical care. The majority of time was spent on providing PN and care of the central venous catheter (6.1 hours; IQR, 5.2-8.8). CONCLUSIONS Caregivers of children with intestinal failure receiving long-term PN provide a significant amount of care to ensure their child remains healthy at home. The most significant amounts of time were spent on the administration of the PN and care of the central venous catheter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Belza
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yaron Avitzur
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robyn Stremler
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Darcy Fehlings
- Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul W Wales
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT), The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Intestinal Rehabilitation, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH.
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21
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Pickles A, Wright N, Bedford R, Steiman M, Duku E, Bennett T, Georgiades S, Kerns CM, Mirenda P, Smith IM, Ungar WJ, Vaillancourt T, Waddell C, Zaidman‐Zait A, Zwaigenbaum L, Szatmari P, Elsabbagh M. Predictors of language regression and its association with subsequent communication development in children with autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:1243-1251. [PMID: 35098539 PMCID: PMC9786608 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Language regression, broadly defined as the loss of acquired language skills in early childhood, is a distinctive feature of autism. Little is known about the factors underlying regression or the prognosis of children who exhibit regression. We examine potential predictors of language regression and test its association with language development in a prospective longitudinal sample of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from diagnosis to age 10 years. METHODS We analysed data from Pathways in ASD, a prospective longitudinal study of 421 children enrolled around the time of an autism diagnosis between 2 and 5 years. Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised data were available for 408 children, of whom 90 (22%) were classified as having language regression. RESULTS Demographic and other health factors including caregiver education, family income, child sex, reported seizures, and age of enrolment did not differ between children with and without language regression. Children with language regression walked earlier and attained first words sooner than those without regression. However, both groups attained phrase speech at comparable ages. Those with regression exhibited greater delays in expressive and receptive communication over the follow-up period, although this effect was attenuated when accounting for baseline differences in motor and cognitive ability. Overall, those with language regression continued to exhibit expressive but not receptive communication delay compared to those without regression. Communication trajectories were heterogeneous to age 10 years, irrespective of regression status. CONCLUSIONS Although language regression can be alarming, our findings confirm that its occurrence does not necessarily foreshadow worse developmental outcomes relative to those without regression. Although a discrepancy in age-equivalent communication skills may persist, this can be expected to be of less practical importance with rising average levels of skills. Future studies need to account for the significant variability in language trajectories by considering factors beyond developmental regression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Pickles
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Nicola Wright
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Mandy Steiman
- Azrieli Centre for Autism ResearchMontreal Neurological HospitalMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
| | | | | | | | | | - Pat Mirenda
- University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | | | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Hospital for Sick Children Research InstituteUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | | | | | | | | | - Peter Szatmari
- Hospital for Sick Children Research InstituteUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Azrieli Centre for Autism ResearchMontreal Neurological HospitalMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
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22
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Diamond L, Moretti ME, Esser K, Cohen E, O'Brien K, Ungar WJ, Orkin J. 85 Mental health service utilization and cost amongst parents post NICU discharge: A descriptive analysis. Paediatr Child Health 2022. [PMCID: PMC9586075 DOI: 10.1093/pch/pxac100.084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While mental health disorders are common in the postpartum period, the mental health of parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may be further compromised. Previous research demonstrates that up to 40% of NICU parents exhibit elevated levels of depression and anxiety, and endorse trauma symptoms shortly after their baby’s birth. Objectives To describe the parental and infant characteristics and costs associated with MHS use in parents of infants recently discharged from seven Canadian level III NICUs. Design/Methods The study was nested in an ongoing clinical trial of parents of high-risk infants across seven Canadian level III NICUs. Parent and infant characteristics were obtained at enrollment and summarized. Information pertaining to MHS use was obtained from the Resource Use Questionnaire administered to parents at 4 months post-enrollment (RUQ-4m). A pricing table allocating standard costs for services was created to estimate MHS costs for the services reported across the follow-up interval. Results A total of n=213 families completed the RUQ-4m. Of these, 33 individual parents (8%; n=25 female, n=8 male) across 28 families (13%) used MHS following infant discharge from the NICU. Therapy, including psychotherapy and social work, was the most utilized service (46%), followed by psychology (24%) and psychiatry (12%). Using the pricing table to estimate costs, an average of $541 per month was spent on MHS per family. Of these costs, 34% were paid directly by a government program, while 31% were paid at least in part out-of-pocket. Three-quarters (72%) of MHS users were born in Canada compared to 47% of non-users, 72% were on a leave from work compared to 59% of non-users, and 79% were first-time parents compared to 62% of non-users. The average length of hospital admission for infants of MHS users was 100 days compared to 143 days for non-MHS users. Finally, 20% of MHS users reported past or current depression compared to 8% of non-users. Conclusion We found that just over one-tenth of families used MHS post-discharge, that those who used MHS primarily used therapy, and that mental health services cost an estimated $540 per family per month. This is the first pan-Canadian study to describe MHS utilization and cost amongst parents post-NICU discharge. Given the high rates of mental health conditions in this population, the rates of MHS use reported were lower than expected. This preliminary data may represent those who were able to access care, rather than all participants who may have required MHS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Myla E Moretti
- Ontario Child Health Support Unit-Clinical Trials Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
| | | | | | | | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
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23
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Ameis SH, Haltigan JD, Lyon RE, Sawyer A, Mirenda P, Kerns CM, Smith IM, Vaillancourt T, Volden J, Waddell C, Zwaigenbaum L, Bennett T, Duku E, Elsabbagh M, Georgiades S, Ungar WJ, Zaidman‐Zait A, Lai M, Szatmari P. Middle-childhood executive functioning mediates associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and adolescent mental health, academic and functional outcomes in autistic children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:553-562. [PMID: 34382216 PMCID: PMC9291328 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive functioning (EF) varies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is associated with clinical symptoms, academic, and adaptive functioning. Here, we examined whether middle-childhood EF mediates associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and adolescent outcomes in children with ASD. METHODS The Pathways in ASD Cohort comprising children recruited at the time of ASD diagnosis (at 2-4 years-of-age) and followed prospectively across eight subsequent timepoints over ~10 years was used. A subset of Pathways participants (n = 250) with Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)-Parent Form data from at least one timepoint when participants were school-aged was analyzed. A mediation framework was used to examine whether BRIEF-measured EF across age 7-10 years (middle-childhood) mediated associations between early-childhood autism symptoms (measured using the parent-report Social Responsiveness Scale across age 2-6 years) and clinical, academic, and functional outcomes, indexed at age >10-11.8 years (early-adolescence) using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)-Internalizing and Externalizing Scales, Academic Performance from the Teacher's Report Form, and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Models were rerun substituting clinician-rated and teacher-rated measures, where possible. RESULTS Mediation models indicated a significant indirect effect of middle-childhood EF on associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and externalizing behavior, academic performance, or adaptive functioning in early adolescence; kappa squared (κ2 ) effect sizes ranged from large to small. Model findings were stable across raters. Middle-childhood EF did not mediate associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and adolescent internalizing behavior. CONCLUSIONS Among children with an ASD diagnosis, middle-childhood EF may be one pathway through which early-childhood autism symptoms influence a variety of outcomes in early-adolescence. An experimental study targeting middle-childhood EF to improve adolescent academic, emotional/behavioral, and adaptive functioning is needed to evaluate the clinical meaningfulness of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H. Ameis
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada,Department of PsychiatryThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
| | - John D. Haltigan
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada,Department of Applied Psychology and Human DevelopmentUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Rachael E. Lyon
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada
| | - Amanda Sawyer
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Pat Mirenda
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special EducationUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Connor M. Kerns
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Isabel M. Smith
- Department of PediatricsDalhousie UniversityHalifaxNSCanada,Autism Research CentreDalhousie University and IWK Health CentreHalifaxNSCanada
| | | | - Joanne Volden
- Faculty of Rehabilitation MedicineUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - Charlotte Waddell
- Children's Health Policy CentreFaculty of Health SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityVancouverBCCanada
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada,Autism Research CentreEdmontonABCanada
| | - Teresa Bennett
- Offord Centre for Child StudiesHamiltonONCanada,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural NeurosciencesMcMaster UniversityHamiltonONCanada
| | - Eric Duku
- Offord Centre for Child StudiesHamiltonONCanada,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural NeurosciencesMcMaster UniversityHamiltonONCanada
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological InstituteMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
| | - Stelios Georgiades
- Offord Centre for Child StudiesHamiltonONCanada,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural NeurosciencesMcMaster UniversityHamiltonONCanada
| | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative SciencesThe Hospital for Sick Children Research InstituteTorontoONCanada,Institute of Health Policy, Management and EvaluationUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Anat Zaidman‐Zait
- Department of School Counseling and Special EducationConstantiner School of EducationTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael,School of Population and Public HealthFaculty of MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Meng‐Chuan Lai
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada,Department of PsychiatryThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada,Department of PsychiatryThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
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24
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Jegathisawaran J, Tsiplova K, Hayeems RZ, Marshall CR, Stavropoulos DJ, Pereira SL, Thiruvahindrapuram B, Liston E, Reuter MS, Manshaei R, Cohn I, Jobling R, Kim RH, Mital S, Ungar WJ. Trio genome sequencing for developmental delay and pediatric heart conditions: A comparative microcost analysis. Genet Med 2022; 24:1027-1036. [PMID: 35219592 DOI: 10.1016/j.gim.2022.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Genome sequencing (GS) can aid clinical management of multiple pediatric conditions. Insurers require accurate cost information to inform funding and implementation decisions. The objective was to compare the laboratory workflows and microcosts of trio GS testing in children with developmental delay (DD) and in children with cardiac conditions. METHODS Cost items related to each step in trio GS (child and 2 parents) for both populations were identified and measured. Program costs over 5 years were estimated. Probabilistic and deterministic analyses were conducted. RESULTS The mean cost per trio GS was CAD$6634.11 (95% CI = 6352.29-6913.40) for DD and CAD$8053.10 (95% CI = 7699.30-8558.10) for cardiac conditions. The 5-year program cost was CAD$28.11 million (95% CI = 26.91-29.29) for DD and CAD$5.63 million (95% CI = 5.38-5.98) for cardiac conditions. Supplies constituted the largest cost component for both populations. The higher cost per sample for the population with cardiac conditions was due to the inclusion of pharmacogenomics, higher bioinformatics labor costs, and a more labor intensive case review. CONCLUSION This analysis indicated important variation in trio GS workflow and costs between pediatric populations in a single institution. Enhanced understanding of the clinical utility and costs of GS can inform harmonization and implementation decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jathishinie Jegathisawaran
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kate Tsiplova
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robin Z Hayeems
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christian R Marshall
- Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dimitri J Stavropoulos
- Department of Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sergio L Pereira
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Eriskay Liston
- Cardiac Genome Clinic, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Miriam S Reuter
- Cardiac Genome Clinic, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roozbeh Manshaei
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Iris Cohn
- Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology & Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rebekah Jobling
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Raymond H Kim
- Cardiac Genome Clinic, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Seema Mital
- Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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25
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Xie X, Tiggelaar S, Guo J, Wang M, Vandersluis S, Ungar WJ. Developing Economic Models for Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Multiple Diagnostic Tests: Methods and Applications. Med Decis Making 2022; 42:861-871. [DOI: 10.1177/0272989x221089268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background Clinical pathways with multiple diagnostic tests are complex to model, but problematic and simplistic approaches are often used in economic evaluations. Methods We analyzed statistical methods of handling multiple diagnostic tests and provided guidance on applying these methods in economic modeling. We first introduced a statistical model to quantify the correlations between 2 tests and how those correlations can be incorporated within an economic model. We also presented the general form of conditional dependence among multiple tests. We then introduced net reclassification improvement (NRI), a measure that evaluates the added value of a new risk factor (e.g., biomarker) for risk prediction. We further provided 2 examples to illustrate the application of these methods. Results Our first example illustrated how to model an add-on test to an existing test, in the absence of a perfect reference standard. After accounting for the imperfect nature of both tests and the conditional dependence between tests, the potential health benefits from the additional test were reduced. This led to differential cost-effectiveness results when comparing models using the perfect test and conditional independence assumptions. The second example illustrated how to evaluate the added value of a new risk factor using the NRI measure. Using the new risk classification provides greater precision in risk prediction, and in the example, the strategy using the new risk classification with treatment for selected individuals led to more favorable cost-effectiveness results. Conclusions These innovative methods for handling multiple diagnostic tests have improved the methodology within the field and should be adopted to provide more accurate estimates within cost-effectiveness analyses. Highlights Economic evaluations of multiple diagnostic tests often apply problematic simplistic approaches, such as ignoring conditional dependence between 2 tests or assuming a perfect final test in the diagnostic pathway. We provided guidance on how to apply improved methods for economic modeling. We introduced methods to model conditional dependence between 2 imperfect tests. We used an example to illustrate how assumptions about perfect diagnostic test accuracy and conditional independence between tests affect cost-effectiveness. Compared with the results of the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve, net reclassification improvement has distinct advantages in measuring the added value of a new risk factor for model-based economic evaluation. Economic evaluations that appropriately account for the complexities of diagnostic test pathways can help decision makers ensure efficient use of resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanqian Xie
- Health Technology Assessment Program, Ontario Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sean Tiggelaar
- Health Technology Assessment Program, Ontario Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jennifer Guo
- Health Technology Assessment Program, Ontario Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Myra Wang
- Health Technology Assessment Program, Ontario Health, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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26
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Hayeems RZ, Marshall CR, Gillespie MK, Szuto A, Chisholm C, Stavropoulos DJ, Venkataramanan V, Tsiplova K, Sawyer S, Price EM, Lau L, Khan R, Lee W, Huang L, Jarinova O, Ungar WJ, Mendoza-Londono R, Somerville MJ, Boycott KM. Comparing genome sequencing technologies to improve rare disease diagnostics: a protocol for the evaluation of a pilot project, Genome-wide Sequencing Ontario. CMAJ Open 2022; 10:E460-E465. [PMID: 35609929 PMCID: PMC9259466 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20210272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide sequencing has emerged as a promising strategy for the timely diagnosis of rare diseases, but it is not yet available as a clinical test performed in Canadian diagnostic laboratories. We describe the protocol for evaluating a 2-year pilot project, Genome-wide Sequencing Ontario, to offer high-quality clinical genome-wide sequencing in Ontario, Canada. METHODS The Genome-wide Sequencing Ontario protocol was codesigned by the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. Enrolment of a prospective cohort of patients began on Apr. 1, 2021. Eligible cases with blood samples available for the index case and both parents (i.e., trios) are randomized to receive exome sequencing or genome sequencing. We will collect patient-level data and ascertain costs associated with the laboratory workflow for exome sequencing and genome sequencing. We will compare point estimates for the diagnostic utility and timeliness of exome sequencing and genome sequencing, and we will determine an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (expressed as the incremental cost of genome sequencing versus exome sequencing per additional patient with a causal variant detected). INTERPRETATION Findings from this work will provide robust evidence for the diagnostic utility, cost-effectiveness and timeliness of exome sequencing and genome sequencing, and will be disseminated via academic publications and policy briefs. Findings will inform provincial and cross-provincial policy related to the long-term organization, delivery and reimbursement of clinical-grade genome diagnostics for rare disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Z Hayeems
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont.
| | - Christian R Marshall
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Meredith K Gillespie
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Anna Szuto
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Caitlin Chisholm
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Dimitri J Stavropoulos
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Viji Venkataramanan
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Kate Tsiplova
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Sarah Sawyer
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - E Magda Price
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Lynette Lau
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Reem Khan
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Whiwon Lee
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Lijia Huang
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Olga Jarinova
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Roberto Mendoza-Londono
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Martin J Somerville
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
| | - Kym M Boycott
- Program in Child Health Evaluative Sciences (Hayeems, Venkataramanan, Tsiplova, Lee, Ungar), Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; Department of Paediatric Laboratory Medicine (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Lau, Somerville), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, (Marshall, Stavropoulos, Somerville), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (Gillespie, Price, Boycott), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics (Szuto, Khan, Lee, Mendoza-Londono), Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Genetics (Chisholm, Sawyer, Huang, Jarinova, Boycott), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ont
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Berrigan P, Hicks GG, Ungar WJ, Zwicker JD. Budget Impact Analysis of an Epigenetic Test Used for Diagnosing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder from the Perspective of a Laboratory Budget Holder in Manitoba, Canada. Pharmacoecon Open 2022; 6:253-263. [PMID: 34628597 PMCID: PMC8863997 DOI: 10.1007/s41669-021-00304-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a condition that results from prenatal alcohol exposure. Though diagnosis is important for individuals with FASD to receive appropriate care, diagnosis can be difficult to obtain. Accurate diagnoses can be impeded because of an inability to confirm prenatal alcohol exposure. This is particularly problematic in instances when family cannot confirm prenatal alcohol exposure. DNA methylation testing represents a novel approach to identifying prenatal alcohol exposure via epigenetic biomarkers. The objective was to assess the impact on laboratory expenditures from adopting DNA methylation additively to the diagnostic workup for patients suspected of having FASD for whom prenatal alcohol exposure cannot be otherwise confirmed. METHODS A budget impact model was developed that incorporates laboratory cost data, population data for Manitoba Canada, literature, and expert opinion. Probabilistic analysis was conducted for the primary analysis and deterministic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the sensitivity of the budget impact to changes in model parameters. The perspective of the present study is that of the laboratory budget holder at a centralized laboratory in Manitoba, Canada. RESULTS Over a 5-year period, it was estimated that there would be 500 DNA methylation tests and the predicted budget impact to the laboratory budget holder was $207,574 (95% credible interval: 70,208-408,161) in Canadian dollars (CAD). Over a 10-year period, it was estimated that there would be 1017 DNA methylation tests and the predicted budget impact to the laboratory budget holder was CAD$439,470 (95% credible interval: 148,902-867,328). CONCLUSIONS Findings provide insight into the impact that DNA methylation testing would have on laboratory budgets if used in the diagnostic workup for FASD in individuals for whom prenatal alcohol exposure cannot be confirmed otherwise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Berrigan
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Geoffrey G Hicks
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer D Zwicker
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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28
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Cernat A, Bashir NS, Ungar WJ. Considerations for developing regulations for direct-to-consumer genetic testing: a scoping review using the 3-I framework. J Community Genet 2022; 13:155-170. [PMID: 35171498 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-022-00582-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing exists largely outside of any regulatory schemes, and studies providing a comprehensive overview of the ethical, social, legal, and technological considerations for regulating these types of technologies are lacking. This paper uses the 3-I framework for policy analysis to analyze the ideas, interests, and institutions relevant to policy development for DTC genetic testing in North America and internationally. A scoping review was conducted. Citation databases were searched for papers addressing the ethical, social, legal, and technological implications of DTC genetic testing; stakeholder perspectives on and experiences with DTC genetic testing; or the effect of such testing on the healthcare system. Ninety-nine publications, organizational reports, governmental documents, or pieces of legislation were included. The ideas included are autonomy, informed decision making, privacy, and clinical validity and utility. The interests discussed are those of the public and healthcare providers. The institutions included are regulatory organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, laws governing the implementation or delivery of genetic testing in general, and legislation created to protect against genetic discrimination. This analysis clarifies the ethical, social, legal, and technological issues of DTC genetic testing regulation. This information can be used by policy makers to develop or strengthen regulations for DTC genetic testing such as requiring an assessment of the clinical validity of tests before they become publicly available, controlling how tests are marketed, and stipulating requirements for healthcare provider involvement and informed consent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Cernat
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay St, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Naazish S Bashir
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay St, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay St, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
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29
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Asare AO, Maurer D, Wong AMF, Ungar WJ, Saunders N. Socioeconomic Status and Vision Care Services in Ontario, Canada: A Population-Based Cohort Study. J Pediatr 2022; 241:212-220.e2. [PMID: 34687692 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test the association of material deprivation and the utilization of vision care services for young children. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a population-based, repeated measures cohort study using linked health and administrative datasets. All children born in Ontario in 2010 eligible for provincial health insurance were followed from birth until their seventh birthday. The main exposure was neighborhood-level material deprivation quintile, a proxy for socioeconomic status. The primary outcome was receipt of a comprehensive eye examination (not to include a vision screening) by age 7 years from an eye care professional, or family physician. RESULTS Of 128 091 children included, female children represented 48.7% of the cohort, 74.4% lived in major urban areas, and 16.2% lived in families receiving income assistance. Only 65% (n = 82 833) had at least 1 comprehensive eye examination, with the lowest uptake (56.9%; n = 31 911) in the most deprived and the highest uptake (70.5%; n =19 860) in the least deprived quintiles. After adjusting for clinical and demographic variables, children living in the least materially deprived quintile had a higher odds of receiving a comprehensive eye examination (aOR 1.43; 95% CI 1.36, 1.51) compared with children in the most materially deprived areas. CONCLUSIONS Uptake of comprehensive eye examinations is poor, especially for children living in the most materially deprived neighborhoods. Strategies to improve uptake and reduce inequities are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afua Oteng Asare
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Daphne Maurer
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behavior, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Agnes M F Wong
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Canada
| | - Natasha Saunders
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
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30
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Belza C, Patterson C, Ghent E, Avitzur Y, Ungar WJ, Fehlings D, Stremler R, Wales PW. "Line care governs our entire world": Understanding the Experience of Caregivers of Children with Intestinal Failure on Long-term Parenteral Nutrition. JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2022; 46:1602-1613. [PMID: 35088428 DOI: 10.1002/jpen.2337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with intestinal failure (IF) on long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) require significant medical care, including high risk procedures such as accessing a central venous catheter, with the majority provided by family caregivers in the home. This study sought to understand the experiences of family caregivers of children. METHODS This was a qualitative study of family caregivers of children with IF. Participants were recruited from an intestinal rehabilitation program to participate in virtual focus groups, which were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used to capture and describe experiences. RESULTS Thirteen caregivers providing care to eleven children participated in three virtual focus groups held between May to June 2020. Data analysis revealed five primary themes: 1) Caregiving as a 24/7 commitment; 2) facing constant risk of death, 3) chronic illness creates difficult feelings and emotions; 4) effects on all aspects of family life; 5) adapting and functioning as a family. The findings of this study pair well with the biopsychosocial model highlighting the need for multifaceted assessment and supports. CONCLUSION The impact of caring for a child with IF on long-term PN is significant for caregivers and their families and has implications for all aspects of their lives. A better understanding of the impact on caregivers and their coping strategies lays the groundwork for optimization of quality of life for caregivers and their family. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Belza
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT).,Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
| | - Catherine Patterson
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT).,Department of Rehabilitation Services, The Hospital for Sick Children
| | - Emily Ghent
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT).,Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children
| | - Yaron Avitzur
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT).,Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto.,Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto.,Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute
| | - Darcy Fehlings
- Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto.,Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Pediatrics
| | - Robyn Stremler
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute.,Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
| | - Paul W Wales
- Group for Improvement of Intestinal Function and Treatment (GIFT).,Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto.,Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children
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31
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Mirenda P, Colozzo P, Smith V, Kroc E, Kalynchuk K, Rogers SJ, Ungar WJ. A Randomized, Community-Based Feasibility Trial of Modified ESDM for Toddlers with Suspected Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:5322-5341. [PMID: 35022943 PMCID: PMC8754545 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05390-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A randomized feasibility trial of a parent coaching (PC) intervention was conducted across 16 community agencies in a Canadian province. Parents of toddlers with suspected autism were assigned to either a PC group (n = 24) or an enhanced community treatment (ECT) group (n = 25). PC participants received 24 weeks of coaching support from community service providers trained in the project. Children in both groups also received available community services and supplementary materials. PC children made significantly greater gains in word understanding and PC parents had significantly higher quality of life, satisfaction, and self-efficacy scores. Results are discussed in terms of the challenges of conducting feasibility studies in community settings and the lessons learned in the project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pat Mirenda
- University of British Columbia, 1948 Turner St, Vancouver, BC, V5L 2A1, Canada.
| | - Paola Colozzo
- University of British Columbia, 1948 Turner St, Vancouver, BC, V5L 2A1, Canada
| | | | - Ed Kroc
- University of British Columbia, 1948 Turner St, Vancouver, BC, V5L 2A1, Canada
| | - Karen Kalynchuk
- University of British Columbia, 1948 Turner St, Vancouver, BC, V5L 2A1, Canada
| | - Sally J Rogers
- University of California MIND Institute, Sacramento, USA
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute/University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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32
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Asare AO, Wong AMF, Maurer D, Kulandaivelu Y, Saunders N, Ungar WJ. Economic evaluations of vision screening to detect amblyopia and refractive errors in children: a systematic review. Can J Public Health 2021; 113:297-311. [PMID: 34755325 PMCID: PMC8577413 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-021-00572-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To synthesize and appraise economic evaluations of vision screening to detect vision impairment in children. METHODS Literature searches were conducted on seven electronic databases, grey literature, and websites of agencies conducting health technology assessments. Studies were included if they (1) were full, comparative economic evaluations that used cost-utility, cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness, cost-consequence, or cost-analysis methods; (2) described screening services designed to detect amblyopia, strabismus, or uncorrected refractive errors in children under 6 years of age; and (3) published after 1994. High-quality studies were synthesized descriptively. Currencies were reported in 2019 Canadian dollars. Quality was assessed with the Pediatric Quality Appraisal Questionnaire (PQAQ). RESULTS Vision screening services were conducted by paid staff, volunteers, or health care professionals in schools or clinics. Thirteen studies were published from five countries: China (n = 1), United States (n = 4), United Kingdom (n = 1), Canada (n = 1), and Germany (n = 6). Analytical techniques included cost-utility/cost-effectiveness combination (n = 2), cost-effectiveness analysis (n = 7), cost-utility analysis (n = 1), cost-benefit analysis (n = 1), cost-consequence analysis (n = 1), and cost analysis (n = 1). Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios ranged from C$1,056 to C$151,274 per additional case detected/prevented and from C$9,429 to C$30,254,703 per additional QALY gained, depending on the type of screening service and comparator. Six studies were determined to be of high quality. CONCLUSION Vision screening to detect amblyopia for young children may be cost-effective compared with no screening if amblyopia reduced quality of life. Studies varied significantly in the type of screening services and comparators used. Methodological limitations were common. Future studies would be aided immensely by prospective studies on the impact of amblyopia on the health-related quality of life of young children and guidelines on the effective conduct of vision screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afua O Asare
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Agnes M F Wong
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Daphne Maurer
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Yalinie Kulandaivelu
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Natasha Saunders
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay St., Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
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33
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Li C, Vandersluis S, Holubowich C, Ungar WJ, Goh ES, Boycott KM, Sikich N, Dhalla I, Ng V. Correspondence on "cost or price of sequencing? implications for economic evaluations in genomic medicine" by Grosse and Gudgeon. Genet Med 2021; 24:251-252. [PMID: 34906460 DOI: 10.1016/j.gim.2021.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Li
- Ontario Health (Quality), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | | | | | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elaine S Goh
- Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kym M Boycott
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute (CHEO), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nancy Sikich
- Ontario Health (Quality), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Irfan Dhalla
- Ontario Health (Quality), Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vivian Ng
- Ontario Health (Quality), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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34
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Courchesne V, Bedford R, Pickles A, Duku E, Kerns C, Mirenda P, Bennett T, Georgiades S, Smith IM, Ungar WJ, Vaillancourt T, Zaidman-Zait A, Zwaigenbaum L, Szatmari P, Elsabbagh M. Non-verbal IQ and change in restricted and repetitive behavior throughout childhood in autism: a longitudinal study using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised. Mol Autism 2021; 12:57. [PMID: 34391468 PMCID: PMC8364071 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00461-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) is one of the characteristic features of Autism Spectrum Disorder. This domain of symptoms includes a broad range of behaviors. There is a need to study each behavior individually to better understand the role of each in the development of autistic children. Moreover, there are currently no longitudinal studies investigating change in these behaviors over development. METHODS The goal of the present study was to explore the association between age and non-verbal IQ (NVIQ) on 15 RRB symptoms included in the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) over time. A total of 205 children with ASD were assessed using the ADI-R at time of diagnosis, at age 6 years, and at age 11 years, and with the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) at age 8 years. RESULTS The proportion of children showing each RRB tended to diminish with increasing age, except for sensitivity to noise and circumscribed interests, where the proportion increased over time. Although there was no significant main effect of NVIQ, there was a significant interaction between age and NVIQ. This was mainly driven by Difficulties with change in routine, for which higher NVIQ was associated with the behavior remaining relatively stable with age, while lower NVIQ was associated with the behavior becoming more prevalent with age. LIMITATIONS The study focused on the presence/absence of each RRB but did not account for potential changes in frequency or severity of the behaviors over development. Furthermore, some limitations are inherent to the measures used. The ADI-R relies on parent report and hence has some level of subjectivity, while the Wechsler intelligence scales can underestimate the intellectual abilities of some autistic children. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm that specific RRB are differentially linked to age and NVIQ. Studying RRB individually is a promising approach to better understanding how RRB change over the development of autistic children and are linked to other developmental domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Courchesne
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - R Bedford
- King's College London, London, UK
- University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | | | - E Duku
- McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - C Kerns
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - P Mirenda
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - T Bennett
- McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | | | - I M Smith
- Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Canada
| | - W J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | | | | | - P Szatmari
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - M Elsabbagh
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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35
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Mendlowitz AB, Widjaja E, Phan C, Sun Z, Moretti ME, Schuh S, Coyte PC, Hancock-Howard R, Freedman SB, Ungar WJ. A Cost Analysis of Pulse Oximetry as a Determinant in the Decision to Admit Infants With Mild to Moderate Bronchiolitis. Pediatr Emerg Care 2021; 37:e443-e448. [PMID: 30601347 DOI: 10.1097/pec.0000000000001664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A previous randomized controlled trial showed that artificially elevating the pulse oximetry display resulted in fewer hospitalizations with no worse outcomes. This suggests that management decisions based mainly on pulse oximetry may unnecessarily increase health care costs. This study assessed the incremental cost of altered relative to true oximetry in infants with mild to moderate bronchiolitis. METHODS A cost analysis was undertaken from the health care system and societal perspectives using patient-level data from the randomized controlled trial, with a 5-day time horizon after emergency department visit. Infants aged 4 weeks to 12 months with mild to moderate bronchiolitis were randomized to pulse oximetry measurements with true or altered saturation values displayed by artificially increasing saturation 3% points above true values. Direct and indirect health care costs were measured. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess parameter uncertainty. RESULTS From the health care system perspective, the average cost per patient was Can $1155 for altered oximetry and $1967 for true oximetry, with a net savings of $812. From a societal perspective, the average cost per patient was $1559 for altered oximetry and $2473 for true oximetry, with a net savings of $914. Probabilistic analyses demonstrated that altered oximetry remained the less costly study group, with an average savings of $810 (95% confidence interval, $748-$872) from the health care system perspective and $910 (95% confidence interval, $848-$973) from the societal system perspective. CONCLUSIONS Reliance on oximetry as a major determinant in the decision to hospitalize infants with mild to moderate bronchiolitis is associated with significantly greater costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Mendlowitz
- From the Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto
| | | | - Cathy Phan
- From the Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto
| | - Zhuolu Sun
- From the Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto
| | | | - Suzanne Schuh
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario
| | - Peter C Coyte
- From the Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, University of Toronto
| | | | - Stephen B Freedman
- Department of Pediatrics, Alberta Children's Hospital, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
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36
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Cost KT, Zaidman-Zait A, Mirenda P, Duku E, Zwaigenbaum L, Smith IM, Ungar WJ, Kerns C, Bennett T, Szatmari P, Georgiades S, Waddell C, Elsabbagh M, Vaillancourt T. Correction to: "Best Things": Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:4575-4576. [PMID: 34286396 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05144-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine T Cost
- Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
| | | | - Pat Mirenda
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Eric Duku
- McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Isabel M Smith
- Dalhousie University/IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Connor Kerns
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Peter Szatmari
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- McGill University/Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, PQ, Canada
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Orkin J, Major N, Esser K, Parmar A, Couture E, Daboval T, Kieran E, Ly L, O'Brien K, Patel H, Synnes A, Robson K, Barreira L, Smith WL, Rizakos S, Willan AR, Yaskina M, Moretti ME, Ungar WJ, Ballantyne M, Church PT, Cohen E. Coached, Coordinated, Enhanced Neonatal Transition (CCENT): protocol for a multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled trial of transition-to-home support for parents of high-risk infants. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e046706. [PMID: 34233983 PMCID: PMC8264914 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Having an infant admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with increased parental stress, anxiety and depression. Enhanced support for parents may decrease parental stress and improve subsequent parent and child outcomes. The Coached, Coordinated, Enhanced Neonatal Transition (CCENT) programme is a novel bundled intervention of psychosocial support delivered by a nurse navigator that includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based coaching, care coordination and anticipatory education for parents of high-risk infants in the NICU through the first year at home. The primary objective is to evaluate the impact of the intervention on parent stress at 12 months. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This is a multicentre pragmatic randomised controlled superiority trial with 1:1 allocation to the CCENT model versus control (standard neonatal follow-up). Parents of high-risk infants (n=236) will be recruited from seven NICUs across three Canadian provinces. Intervention participants are assigned a nurse navigator who will provide the intervention for 12 months. Outcomes are measured at baseline, 6 weeks, 4, 12 and 18 months. The primary outcome measure is the total score of the Parenting Stress Index Fourth Edition Short Form at 12 months. Secondary outcomes include parental mental health, empowerment and health-related quality of life for calculation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). A cost-effectiveness analysis will examine the incremental cost of CCENT versus usual care per QALY gained. Qualitative interviews will explore parent and healthcare provider experiences with the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Research ethics approval was obtained from Clinical Trials Ontario, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Ethics Board (REB), The Hospital for Sick Children REB, UBC Children's and Women's REB and McGill University Health Centre REB. Results will be shared with Canadian level III NICUs, neonatal follow-up programmes and academic forums. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03350243).
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Orkin
- Division of Paediatric Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nathalie Major
- Department of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kayla Esser
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arpita Parmar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elise Couture
- Division of Neonatology, Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Thierry Daboval
- Department of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emily Kieran
- Division of Neonatology, BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Linh Ly
- Division of Neonatology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karel O'Brien
- Division of Neonatology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hema Patel
- Division of General Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Anne Synnes
- Division of Neonatology, BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kate Robson
- Neonatal Follow Up Clinic, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lesley Barreira
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wanda L Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sara Rizakos
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew R Willan
- Clinical Research Services, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maryna Yaskina
- Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Myla E Moretti
- Clinical Trials Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marilyn Ballantyne
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paige Terrien Church
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Neonatology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eyal Cohen
- Division of Paediatric Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Bashir NS, Walters TD, Griffiths AM, Ito S, Ungar WJ. Imputing missing patient-level data and propensity score matching in cost-effectiveness analysis in Crohn's disease. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2021; 22:445-454. [PMID: 34043481 DOI: 10.1080/14737167.2021.1936501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: The effect of imputing missing data followed by propensity score analysis on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in a cost-effectiveness analysis is unknown. The objective was to compare alternative approaches in grouping data following imputation and prior to calculating propensity scores for use in economic evaluation.Methods: Patient-level data from an observational study of 573 children with Crohn's disease were used in a microsimulation model to determine the incremental cost of early anti-tumor necrosis factor-α treatment compared to standard care per remission week gained. Multiple imputation of a missing covariate followed by propensity score matching to create comparator groups was approached in two ways. The Within approach calculated propensity scores on each imputed dataset separately, while the Across method averaged propensity scores to create one matched population resulting in multiple sets of health state transition probabilities.Results: The incremental cost per remission week gained ranged from CAD$2,236 to CAD$12,464 (mean CAD$4,266) with Within datasets and was CAD$4,679 per remission week gained with the Across dataset.Conclusion: Imputation of missing patient-level data and propensity score analysis increases methodological uncertainty in cost-effectiveness analysis. The present study indicated that the Across approach may be less cumbersome, and slightly reduce bias and variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naazish S Bashir
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Thomas D Walters
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anne M Griffiths
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Shinya Ito
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Cernat A, Hayeems RZ, Prosser LA, Ungar WJ. Incorporating Cascade Effects of Genetic Testing in Economic Evaluation: A Scoping Review of Methodological Challenges. Children (Basel) 2021; 8:children8050346. [PMID: 33925765 PMCID: PMC8145875 DOI: 10.3390/children8050346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cascade genetic testing is indicated for family members of individuals testing positive on a genetic test, and is particularly relevant for child health because of their vulnerability and the long-term health and economic implications. Cascade testing has patient- and health system-level implications; however cascade costs and health effects are not routinely considered in economic evaluation. The methodological challenges associated with incorporating cascade effects in economic evaluation require examination. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify published economic evaluations that considered cascade genetic testing. Citation databases were searched for English-language economic evaluations reporting on cascade genetic testing. Nineteen publications were included. In four, genetic testing was used to identify new index patients—cascade effects were also considered; thirteen assessed cascade genetic testing strategies for the identification of at-risk relatives; and two calculated the costs of cascade genetic testing as a secondary objective. Methodological challenges associated with incorporating cascade effects in economic evaluation are related to study design, costing, measurement and valuation of health outcomes, and modeling. As health economic studies may currently be underestimating both the cost and health benefits attributable to genetic technologies through omission of cascade effects, development of methods to address these difficulties is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Cernat
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (A.C.); (R.Z.H.)
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada
| | - Robin Z. Hayeems
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (A.C.); (R.Z.H.)
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada
| | - Lisa A. Prosser
- Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
- Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; (A.C.); (R.Z.H.)
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Hayeems RZ, Luca S, Assamad D, Bhatt A, Ungar WJ. Utility of Genetic Testing from the Perspective of Parents/Caregivers: A Scoping Review. Children (Basel) 2021; 8:259. [PMID: 33801725 PMCID: PMC8067127 DOI: 10.3390/children8040259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In genomics, perceived and personal utility have been proposed as constructs of value that include the subjective meanings and uses of genetic testing. Precisely what constitutes these constructs of utility and how they vary by stakeholder perspective remains unresolved. To advance methods for measuring the value of genetic testing in child health, we conducted a scoping review of the literature to characterize utility from the perspective of parents/caregivers. Peer reviewed literature that included empiric findings from parents/caregivers who received genetic test results for an index child and was written in English from 2016-2020 was included. Identified concepts of utility were coded according to Kohler's construct of personal utility. Of 2142 abstracts screened, 33 met inclusion criteria. Studies reflected a range of genetic test types; the majority of testing was pursued for children with developmental or neurodevelopmental concerns. Coding resulted in 15 elements of utility that mapped to Kohler's four domains of personal utility (affective, cognitive, behavioural and social) and one additional medical management domain. An adapted construct of utility for parents/caregivers may enable specific and standardized strategies for researchers to use to generate evidence of the post-test value of genetic testing. In turn, this will contribute to emerging methods for health technology assessment and policy decision making for genomics in child health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Z. Hayeems
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (S.L.); (D.A.); (A.B.); (W.J.U.)
- Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
| | - Stephanie Luca
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (S.L.); (D.A.); (A.B.); (W.J.U.)
| | - Daniel Assamad
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (S.L.); (D.A.); (A.B.); (W.J.U.)
| | - Ayushi Bhatt
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (S.L.); (D.A.); (A.B.); (W.J.U.)
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; (S.L.); (D.A.); (A.B.); (W.J.U.)
- Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
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Moretti ME, Ungar WJ, Freedman SB, Schuh S. Cost-effectiveness of preferred fluids versus electrolytes in pediatric gastroenteritis. CAN J EMERG MED 2021; 23:646-654. [PMID: 33745119 DOI: 10.1007/s43678-021-00108-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While electrolyte maintenance solution is recommended and commonly used in pediatric gastroenteritis, it can be more costly and less palatable than preferred fluids such as apple juice. OBJECTIVE To assess the incremental cost-effectiveness of apple juice/preferred fluids versus electrolyte maintenance solution in reducing treatment failures in children in an emergency department from societal and health care perspectives. METHODS A probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis was performed using clinical trial and chart data. All intervention, and direct and indirect costs were included, with a 14-day time horizon. Cost-effectiveness was examined by calculating the difference in mean number of treatment failures and mean cost/patient between treatment groups. The probabilistic point estimate and 95% confidence intervals for incremental costs and incremental effectiveness were determined. RESULTS The apple juice strategy was less costly than electrolytes with average per child savings of CAD $171 (95% CI $22 to $1097) from a societal perspective, and $147 (95% CI $23 to $1056) from a health care perspective. There were 0.08 fewer treatment failures per child (95% CI - 0.15 to - 0.02). The higher electrolyte maintenance solution cost was due to more frequent hospitalizations, ongoing care, and greater lost parental productivity due to additional medical visits. CONCLUSION Apple juice/preferred fluids strategy was dominant over electrolytes in the treatment of children with minimal dehydration secondary to acute gastroenteritis as this option yielded fewer treatment failures and a lower societal cost. Given the high prevalence of acute gastroenteritis, this approach may result in significant cost savings while leading to improved clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myla E Moretti
- Clinical Trials Unit, Ontario Child Health Support Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Stephen B Freedman
- Sections of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Gastroenterology, Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children's Hospital, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Suzanne Schuh
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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42
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Georgiades S, Tait PA, McNicholas PD, Duku E, Zwaigenbaum L, Smith IM, Bennett T, Elsabbagh M, Kerns CM, Mirenda P, Ungar WJ, Vaillancourt T, Volden J, Waddell C, Zaidman-Zait A, Gentles S, Szatmari P. Trajectories of Symptom Severity in Children with Autism: Variability and Turning Points through the Transition to School. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:392-401. [PMID: 33704613 PMCID: PMC8732828 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04949-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the trajectories of autistic symptom severity in an inception cohort of 187 children with ASD assessed across four time points from diagnosis to age 10. Trajectory groups were derived using multivariate cluster analysis. A two trajectory/cluster solution was selected. Change in trajectory slopes revealed a turning point marked by plateauing in symptom reduction during the period of transition to school (age 6) for one of the two trajectories. Trajectories were labelled: Continuously Improving (27%) and Improving then Plateauing (73% of sample). Children in the two trajectories differed in levels of symptom severity, language, cognitive, and adaptive functioning skills. Study findings can inform the development of more personalized services for children with ASD transitioning into the school system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stelios Georgiades
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP Suite 201A, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Peter A Tait
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP Suite 201A, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Paul D McNicholas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP Suite 201A, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Eric Duku
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP Suite 201A, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | | | - Isabel M Smith
- IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Teresa Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP Suite 201A, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | | | | | - Pat Mirenda
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Stephen Gentles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W. - MIP Suite 201A, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Centre for Addition and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
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Szatmari P, Cost KT, Duku E, Bennett T, Elsabbagh M, Georgiades S, Kerns C, Mirenda P, Smith IM, Ungar WJ, Vaillancourt T, Waddell C, Zaidman-Zait A, Zwaigenbaum L. Association of Child and Family Attributes With Outcomes in Children With Autism. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e212530. [PMID: 33779740 PMCID: PMC8008283 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.2530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The prevalence and attributes of positive outcomes (or doing well) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in midchildhood are not well known. OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of doing well according to metrics of proficiency and growth and to investigate the extent to which significant associations exist between child- and family-level variables and doing well. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This longitudinal cohort study included children with ASD from regional clinics across Canada. Participants were sampled 3 times between ages 2 and 4.9 years (T1) and twice in follow-up into middle childhood (T2). Data were analyzed March 2018 through January 2020. EXPOSURES Language and IQ assessments at first sample; household income, parent coping, and family functioning. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Key outcome domains of developmental health included measures of socialization, communication, independent living skills, and measures of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Thresholds for doing well in these domains by either proficiency or growth were established. The extent to which language, IQ, household income, parent coping, and family functioning were associated with assessed outcomes was determined by logistic regression. The association between outcomes and concurrent Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) classification scores was also estimated. RESULTS In a total cohort of 272 children (234 [86.0%] boys; mean [SD] age, 10.76 [0.26] years), approximately 78.8% (95% CI, 73.2%-84.4%) of the sample were estimated to be doing well by either metric on at least 1 domain, and 23.6% (95% CI, 17.7%-29.4%) were doing well in 4 or 5 domains. It was possible to be doing well by either proficiency or growth and still meet ADOS criteria for ASD. For the growth metric, between 61.5% (95% CI, 40.7%-79.1%) and 79.6% (95% CI, 66.0%-88.9%) of participants had ADOS scores of 4 or greater; for the proficiency metric, between 63.8% (95% CI, 48.4%-76.9%) and 75.8% (95% CI, 63.0%-85.4%) had scores of 4 or greater. Doing well by either metric for all domains was associated with T1 scores on that outcome domain (eg, T1 daily living skills associated with doing well at T2 daily living by the proficiency metric as measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition daily living skills scale [202 participants]: β = 0.07; OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.11; P < .001). Doing well in socialization by the growth metric was also associated with better T1 language skills scores (202 participants) (β = 0.04; OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00-1.07, P = .04). Doing well in externalizing by the growth metric was also associated with higher household income at T1 (178 participants) (β = 0.10; OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.06-1.15; P < .001). Better family functioning at T1 was associated with doing well on both socialization and externalizing by proficiency metric and on internalizing by growth metric (socialization by proficiency [202 participants]: β = -1.01; OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.14-0.93; P = .04; externalizing by proficiency [178 participants]: β = 1.00; OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16-0.82; P = .02; internalizing by growth [178 participants]: β = -1.03; OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.16-0.79; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study found that a substantial proportion of children with ASD were doing well by middle childhood in at least 1 key domain of developmental health, and that doing well was possible even in the context of continuing to meet criteria for ASD. These results support a strengths-based approach to treatment planning that should include robust support for families to increase the potential likelihood of doing well later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Szatmari
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Eric Duku
- McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Pat Mirenda
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Wendy J. Ungar
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Cost KT, Zaidman-Zait A, Mirenda P, Duku E, Zwaigenbaum L, Smith IM, Ungar WJ, Kerns C, Bennett T, Szatmari P, Georgiades S, Waddell C, Elsabbagh M, Vaillancourt T. "Best Things": Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:4560-4574. [PMID: 33532881 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04890-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
This study examined parental perceptions of the character traits of children with autism from early childhood to age 11. Parents (n = 153) provided descriptions of the "best things" about their children on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at ages 3-4, 7-8, and 10-11 years. Descriptions were coded using the framework of the Values in Action Classification of Strengths, with additional traits added as needed. Parent-endorsed traits included love, kindness, happiness, and humor in children across all ages and traits such as perseverance as children entered school. Higher CBCL scores were associated with a lower likelihood of endorsement for Humanity traits. Results are congruent with a contemporary neurodiversity perspective that emphasizes strengths and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine T Cost
- Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
| | | | - Pat Mirenda
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Eric Duku
- McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Isabel M Smith
- Dalhousie University/IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Connor Kerns
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Peter Szatmari
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- McGill University/Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, PQ, Canada
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Hughes A, Marshall JK, Moretti ME, Ungar WJ. A Cost-Utility Analysis of Switching from Reference to Biosimilar Infliximab Compared to Maintaining Reference Infliximab in Adult Patients with Crohn's Disease. J Can Assoc Gastroenterol 2021; 4:48. [PMID: 33644677 PMCID: PMC7898373 DOI: 10.1093/jcag/gwz045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Lower-cost biosimilar infliximab may address affordability concerns in the treatment of adults with Crohn's disease (CD), however, evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of switching from reference to biosimilar is warranted. The aim of this research was to assess the incremental cost of switching from treatment with reference infliximab to biosimilar compared with maintaining reference infliximab in adults with CD per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. METHODS A probabilistic cohort Markov model with 8-week cycle lengths was constructed to estimate the incremental costs and effects of switching over a 5-year time horizon from a public payer perspective. Base-case clinical inputs were obtained from NOR-SWITCH subgroup analyses and other published trials. Costs were obtained from Canadian sources. A total of 10,000 simulations were run. Sensitivity analysis was used to test the robustness of the results to variations in uncertain parameters. RESULTS Switching to biosimilar infliximab was less costly but also less effective with incremental savings of $46,194 (95% confidence interval [CI]: $42,420, $50,455) and a loss in QALYs of -0.13 (95% CI: -0.16, -0.07). Eighty-three per cent of the simulations demonstrated incremental cost savings and an incremental loss of effectiveness. The model was sensitive to differences in rates of disease worsening between reference and biosimilar infliximab. CONCLUSIONS While biosimilar infliximab is associated with incremental savings for patients on maintenance therapy who are switched from reference infliximab, funding decision makers must decide whether a small loss of effectiveness is justified. Further evidence will help to inform reimbursement policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery Hughes
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John K Marshall
- Department of Medicine and Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Myla E Moretti
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Ontario Child Health Support Unit and the Clinical Trials Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Berrigan P, Hodge J, Kirton A, Moretti ME, Ungar WJ, Zwicker JD. Protocol for a cost-utility analysis of neurostimulation and intensive camp-based therapy for children with perinatal stroke and hemiparesis based on a multicentre clinical trial. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e041444. [PMID: 33468454 PMCID: PMC7817786 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Perinatal stroke leads to cerebral palsy (CP) and lifelong disability for thousands of Canadian children. Hemiparesis, referring to impaired functionality in one side of the body, is a common complication of perinatal stroke. Standard long-term care for hemiparetic CP focuses on rehabilitation therapies. Early research suggests that patients with hemiparesis may benefit from adjunctive neuromodulation treatments such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS uses electric current to stimulate targeted areas of the brain non-invasively, potentially enhancing the effects of motor learning therapies. This protocol describes an economic evaluation to be conducted alongside a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess the incremental cost of tDCS added to a camp-based therapy compared with camp-based therapy alone per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained in children with hemiparetic CP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The Stimulation for Perinatal Stroke Optimising Recovery Trajectories (SPORT) trial is a multicentre RCT evaluating tDCS added to a 2-week camp-based therapy for children aged 6-18 years with perinatal ischaemic stroke and disabling hemiparetic CP affecting the upper limb. Outcomes are assessed at baseline, 1 week, 2 months and 6 months following intervention. Cost and quality of life data are collected at baseline and 6 months and results will be used to conduct a cost-utility analysis (CUA). The evaluation will be conducted from the perspectives of the public healthcare system and society. The CUA will be conducted over a 6-month time horizon. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval for the SPORT trial and the associated economic evaluation has been given by the research ethics boards at each of the study sites. The findings of the economic evaluation will be submitted for publication in a peer reviewed academic journal and submitted for presentation at conference. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03216837; Post-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Berrigan
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jacquie Hodge
- Calgary Pediatric Stroke Program, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Adam Kirton
- Departments of Pediatrics and Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Myla E Moretti
- Ontario Child Health Support Unit and the Clinical Trials Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Technology Assessment at SickKids, Program of Child Heath Evaluative Sciences, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer D Zwicker
- School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Denburg AE, Giacomini M, Ungar WJ, Abelson J. The Moral Foundations of Child Health and Social Policies: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis. Children (Basel) 2021; 8:children8010043. [PMID: 33450842 PMCID: PMC7828333 DOI: 10.3390/children8010043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: Allusions to the uniqueness and value of childhood abound in academic, lay, and policy discourse. However, little clarity exists on the values that guide child health and social policy-making. We review extant academic literature on the normative dimensions of child health and social policy to provide foundations for the development of child-focused public policies. Methods: We conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of academic literature on the normative dimensions of child health and social policy-making. We employed a social constructivist lens to interpret emergent themes. Political theory on the social construction of target populations served as a bridge between sociologies of childhood and public policy analysis. Results: Our database searches returned 14,658 unique articles; full text review yielded 72 relevant articles. Purposive sampling of relevant literature complemented our electronic searches, adding 51 original articles, for a total of 123 articles. Our analysis of the literature reveals three central themes: potential, rights, and risk. These themes retain relevance in diverse policy domains. A core set of foundational concepts also cuts across disciplines: well-being, participation, and best interests of the child inform debate on the moral and legal dimensions of a gamut of child social policies. Finally, a meta-theme of embedding encompasses the pervasive issue of a child’s place, in the family and in society, which is at the heart of much social theory and applied analysis on children and childhood. Conclusions: Foundational understanding of the moral language and dominant policy frames applied to children can enrich analyses of social policies for children. Most societies paint children as potent, vulnerable, entitled, and embedded. It is the admixture of these elements in particular policy spheres, across distinct places and times, that often determines the form of a given policy and societal reactions to it. Subsequent work in this area will need to detail the degree and impact of variance in the values mix attached to children across sociocultural contexts and investigate tensions between what are and what ought to be the values that guide social policy development for children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avram E. Denburg
- Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada;
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-416-813-8469; Fax: +1-416-813-5327
| | - Mita Giacomini
- Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, Department of Health Research Methods, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; (M.G.); (J.A.)
| | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada;
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
| | - Julia Abelson
- Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, Department of Health Research Methods, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; (M.G.); (J.A.)
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Baribeau DA, Vigod S, Pullenayegum E, Kerns CM, Mirenda P, Smith IM, Vaillancourt T, Volden J, Waddell C, Zwaigenbaum L, Bennett T, Duku E, Elsabbagh M, Georgiades S, Ungar WJ, Zaidman Zait A, Szatmari P. Co-occurring trajectories of anxiety and insistence on sameness behaviour in autism spectrum disorder. Br J Psychiatry 2021; 218:20-27. [PMID: 32641181 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2020.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have increased susceptibility to anxiety disorders. Variation in a common ASD symptom, insistence on sameness behaviour, may predict future anxiety symptoms. AIMS To describe the joint heterogeneous longitudinal trajectories of insistence on sameness and anxiety in children with ASD and to characterise subgroups at higher risk for anxiety. METHOD In a longitudinal ASD cohort (n = 421), insistence on sameness behaviour was measured using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised at approximately ages 3, 6 and 11 years. Anxiety was quantified at 8 time points between ages 3 and 11 years using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (parent report). Clusters of participants following similar trajectories were identified using group-based and joint trajectory modelling. RESULTS Three insistence on sameness trajectories were identified: (a) 'low-stable' (41.7% of participants), (b) 'moderate-increasing' (52.0%) and (c) 'high-peaking' (i.e. increasing then stabilising/decreasing behaviour) (6.3%). Four anxiety trajectories were identified: (a) 'low-increasing' (51.0%), (b) 'moderate-decreasing' (16.2%), (c) 'moderate-increasing' (19.6%) and (d) 'high-stable' (13.1%). Of those assigned to the 'high-peaking' insistence on sameness trajectory, 95% jointly followed an anxiety trajectory that surpassed the threshold for clinical concern (T-score >65) by middle childhood (anxiety trajectories 3 or 4). Insistence on sameness and anxiety trajectories were similar in severity and direction for 64% of the sample; for 36%, incongruous patterns were seen (e.g. decreasing anxiety and increasing insistence on sameness). CONCLUSIONS The concurrent assessment of insistence on sameness behaviour and anxiety in ASD may help in understanding current symptom profiles and anticipating future trajectories. High preschool insistence on sameness in particular may be associated with elevated current or future anxiety symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simone Vigod
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's College Hospital; and Women's College Research Institute; and Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Eleanor Pullenayegum
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Connor M Kerns
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Pat Mirenda
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Isabel M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University; and Autism Research Centre, Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Canada
| | | | - Joanne Volden
- Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Charlotte Waddell
- Children's Health Policy Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta; and Autism Research Centre, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Teresa Bennett
- Offord Centre for Child Studies; and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Eric Duku
- Offord Centre for Child Studies; and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Stelios Georgiades
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University; and Offord Centre for Child Studies, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Wendy J Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute; and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anat Zaidman Zait
- Department of School Counseling and Special Education, Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Israel; and School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; and The Hospital for Sick Children; and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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49
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Hunsche MC, Saqui S, Mirenda P, Zaidman-Zait A, Bennett T, Duku E, Elsabbagh M, Georgiades S, Smith IM, Szatmari P, Ungar WJ, Vaillancourt T, Waddell C, Zwaigenbaum L, Kerns CM. Parent-Reported Rates and Clinical Correlates of Suicidality in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Longitudinal Study. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:3496-3509. [PMID: 32034647 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04373-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated rates of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal and/or self-injurious behaviour (SSIB) reported by parents on the Child Behavior Checklist for 178 children with ASD over four annual assessments (ages 7-11 years). Analyses examined the frequency and persistence of SI and SSIB, and the association of SI and SSIB at any time point with child characteristics and internalizing and externalizing problems at age 7. SI occurred in 9.6% of children and was associated with fewer ASD symptoms and better adaptive functioning at age 7. SSIB occurred in 14.6% and was associated with poorer adaptive functioning and more externalizing behaviour at age 7. Internalizing problems were not associated with SI or SSIB at any time point. SI and SSIB rarely co-occurred (4%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Hunsche
- University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sonja Saqui
- University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Pat Mirenda
- University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Anat Zaidman-Zait
- University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.,Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Eric Duku
- McMaster University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Connor M Kerns
- University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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50
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Li C, Vandersluis S, Holubowich C, Ungar WJ, Goh ES, Boycott KM, Sikich N, Dhalla I, Ng V. Cost-effectiveness of genome-wide sequencing for unexplained developmental disabilities and multiple congenital anomalies. Genet Med 2020; 23:451-460. [PMID: 33110268 DOI: 10.1038/s41436-020-01012-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Genetic testing is routine practice for individuals with unexplained developmental disabilities and multiple congenital anomalies. However, current testing pathways can be costly and time consuming, and the diagnostic yield low. Genome-wide sequencing, including exome sequencing (ES) and genome sequencing (GS), can improve diagnosis, but at a higher cost. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of genome-wide sequencing in Ontario, Canada. METHODS A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using a discrete event simulation from a public payer perspective. Six strategies involving ES or GS were compared. Outcomes reported were direct medical costs, number of molecular diagnoses, number of positive findings, and number of active treatment changes. RESULTS If ES was used as a second-tier test (after the current first-tier, chromosomal microarray, fails to provide a diagnosis), it would be less costly and more effective than standard testing (CAN$6357 [95% CI: 6179-6520] vs. CAN$8783 per patient [95% CI: 2309-31,123]). If ES was used after standard testing, it would cost an additional CAN$15,228 to identify the genetic diagnosis for one additional patient compared with standard testing. The results remained robust when parameters and assumptions were varied. CONCLUSION ES would likely be cost-saving if used earlier in the diagnostic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Li
- Ontario Health (Quality), Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | | | | | - Wendy J Ungar
- Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elaine S Goh
- Laboratory Medicine and Genetics, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Kym M Boycott
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Irfan Dhalla
- Ontario Health (Quality), Toronto, ON, Canada.,Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Vivian Ng
- Ontario Health (Quality), Toronto, ON, Canada
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