1,721,014 research outputs found
I sartani nel trattamento delle malattie cardiovascolari: aspetti clinici e farmacoeconomici dell'impiego di candesartan.
No full textAspetti clinici di impiego del candesartan e rassegna della letteratura internazionale
A cost-effectiveness analysis of different therapies in patients with chronic hepatitis B in Italy
No full text
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Lo studio FAST: FAringotonsillite STreptococcica in età pediatrica. Impatto farmacoeconomico delle Linee Guida dell'American Academy of Pediatrics sulla pratica clinica di 600 pediatri italiani
Full text linkThe American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently published its new guidelines for the treatment of pediatric tonsillopharyngitis; a diagnostic test for the detection of streptococci is recommended, followed by a treatment with penicillins (10 days) or cephalosporins (5 days) in case of positivity, and by no treatment otherwise. The success of a guideline, in general, depends on its diffusion in practice and on its adaptability to different local settings. The aim of the present study (FAST) was the evaluation of the clinical and economical impact of the application of the AAP guidelines in the Italian reality. The study was conducted with the cooperation of 600 pediatricians, uniformly distributed on the Italian territory, and involved 3072 patients. The pediatricians were left free to decide whether to follow the guidelines or not. The results of the analysis indicate that only some 20% of the pediatricians adhered to the suggested protocol; the total cost (calculated in the perspective of the National Health System, with a time horizon of about 3 months) per patient, nonetheless, resulted inferior in the group treated according to the proposed protocol (50,45 • vs. 53,30 •). Furthermore, a lower incidence of complications occurred in these patients. Among the “off-protocol” behaviors, two showed particularly evident misuse of health resources: inappropriate treatment after test positivity (59,15 •/patient), and treatment after test negativity (14% of the total population). Another interesting, although not surprising, result of this study was the evidence that penicillins are as effective as cephalosporins in the short-term, but significantly inferior in terms of complications, positivity for streptococci at the control test, and complications detected at follow-up
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
A cost-utility analysis of etanercept for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in Italy
No full textINTRODUCTION: Biologic therapies have proven efficacious for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. However, their economic value compared with standard of care in Italy has not been explored. This study estimates the cost-effectiveness of intermittent therapy with etanercept in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis in comparison with nonsystemic therapy in Italy.
METHODS: This study employs cost-utility analysis using a Markov model adapted from the British "York model". It compares the cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) of intermittent etanercept (25 mg twice weekly) versus nonsystemic therapy. Data on efficacy and changes in quality of life were derived from three etanercept clinical trials. Direct costs of treating psoriasis patients, including hospitalizations and dermatology clinic visits, were taken from an Italian cost-of-illness study. Extrapolations were made to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of intermittent etanercept versus nonsystemic therapy over a period of ten years.
RESULTS: For the group of patients with moderate and severe plaque psoriasis (initial Psoriasis Area and Severity Index [PASI ≥ 10]) the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for etanercept compared with nonsystemic therapy was €33,216/QALY; for the group of patients with severe psoriasis (PASI ≥ 20), the ICER was €25,486/QALY.
CONCLUSIONS: Within the Italian health care system, intermittent etanercept is a cost-effective therapeutic option compared with nonsystemic therapy for the group of patients with moderate and severe plaque psoriasis. For patients with PASI ≥ 20, cost-effectiveness of etanercept is even greater
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate in the treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis: a cost-effectiveness analysis of the ointment versus gel formulation
No full textGiorgio L Colombo1,2 Sergio Di Matteo,2 Giacomo Bruno,2 Giampiero Girolomoni,3 Gino Antonio Vena41University of Pavia, Department of Drug Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Pavia, Italy; 2S.A.V.E. Studi Analisi Valutazioni Economiche, Milan, Italy; 3Sections of Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; 4Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, Unit of Dermatology and Venereology University of Bari, Bari, ItalyBackground: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a major impact on the quality of life of affected individuals. Topical therapy has an important role in the treatment of psoriasis. Poor treatment outcomes from topical therapy regimens likely result from poor adherence and ineffective use of medication.Methods: A cost-minimization analysis was performed with the purpose of assessing the use of a gel containing calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate (Dovobet® gel) versus the ointment formulation (Dovobet ointment) in the treatment of psoriasis. The analysis was carried out using a Markov model with a one-year time horizon in a hypothetical cohort of patients with a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score < 10. The model simulates different therapy adherence scenarios for the two different formulations.Results: The Dovobet gel strategy allows a 5% reduction in the number of patients who could potentially be treated with more expensive therapies (biologics and conventional systemic drugs) in comparison with the Dovobet ointment strategy, with a consequent impact on costs for the National Healthcare Service. The total annual cost of Dovobet gel is about €407.00 per patient, ie, 19% less that the total cost of about €500.00 of the Dovobet ointment strategy. The base case results were then examined by sensitivity analysis and budget impact analysis to correlate the various scenarios of Dovobet gel use with cost savings to the National Healthcare Service.Conclusion: The Dovobet gel strategy seems more acceptable to patients, shows better overall adherence, and appears to be favorable from the pharmacoeconomic point of view than the ointment formulation for treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate psoriasis.Keywords: pharmacoeconomics, cost-minimization, cost-consequences, psoriasis, calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate, patient adherenc
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