A Mixed-Methods Assessment of India's Health Technology Assessment Ecosystem.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the technical quality of health technology assessment (HTA) studies conducted in India. Second, we aim to identify process-related challenges across the life cycle of an HTA from commissioning to policy translation.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed to assess HTA studies conducted between 2018 and 2023 conducted by ten regional resource centers.

Economic evaluation of integrating nutritional support intervention in India's National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme: implications for low-income and middle-income countries.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of integrating nutritional support into India's National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) using the MUKTI initiative.

Design: Economic evaluation.

Setting: Primary data on the cost of delivering healthcare services, out-of-pocket expenditure and health-related quality of life among patients with tuberculosis (TB) were collected from Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Implementation Status and Usability of Digital Health Interventions Among Health Care Workers and End Users at the Primary Health Care Level in Chandigarh, North India: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Digital health interventions (DHIs) refer to the use of information and communication technologies to support or facilitate the achievement of health objectives. The Government of India has launched various DHIs at the primary health care level to improve health services and health-seeking behaviors. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the effectiveness of implementing these interventions and the user response from target end-users within the government health system setting.

Quality of life and financial implications of depression in India.

Background: Depression is a major public health problem in India, placing a substantial burden on individuals, families, and society. Besides clinical assessment, quality of life (QoL) and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) are key measures to assess the impact of this condition on a patient's wellbeing. However, there is a dearth of published evidence on both these outcomes from India.

Public Health Impact of Kawasaki Disease in India: Projections for 2030.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that usually affects children below 5 years and has now become the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children, surpassing acute rheumatic fever. Incidence data from Chandigarh, India, between 1994 and 2019 shows a monthly increase of 0.002 cases/100,000 children aged < 5 years and 0.

Socioeconomic determinants of the quality of life in boys suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy & their caregivers.

Background & objectives Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common childhood-onset muscular dystrophy, severely affecting the quality of life (QoL) of affected children and their caregivers. Socioeconomic status (SES) is directly correlated with QoL of many chronic and life-threatening diseases. This study aimed to understand the socioeconomic determinants of the QoL in boys affected with DMD and their caregivers.

Financial Viability of Private Hospitals Operating Under India's National Health Insurance Scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).

Background: Private hospitals account for 46% of all hospitals empanelled in India's national health insurance scheme and contribute to 54% of all the hospitalizations under it. However, insufficient package prices are often cited as a constraint to viable hospital operations. This study assesses the financial viability of establishing such hospitals at district level, with a focus on determining the break-even threshold by forecasting the financial trajectory of hospitals.

Optimizing Diabetic Retinopathy Screening at Primary Health Centres in India: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Background: The eye care package under the Ayushman Bharat comprehensive primary healthcare programme includes annual population-based screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) using non-mydriatic fundus cameras at the primary health centres (PHCs) in India. However, there can be several implementation models for introduction of a systematic screening programme for DR.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the cost effectiveness of screening for DR in comparison with the usual-care scenario without a DR screening programme, and to determine cost-effective approaches for implementation of annual population-based screening for DR by optometrists at PHCs in India in terms of screening modalities (face-to-face vs tele-supported screening [screening followed by transfer and remote grading of images by ophthalmologists] vs artificial intelligence [AI]-supported screening) and target population groups for screening.

Seizing the silent vision loss: cost-utility analysis of population-based glaucoma screening in India.

Objectives: Glaucoma is a major cause of irreversible blindness in India; however, if detected early, its progression can be either prevented or stabilised through appropriate medical or surgical treatment. We aim to evaluate the cost-utility of various models for population-based glaucoma screening at primary health centres in India. We also assess the potential impact of the implementation of a population-based screening programme on overall costs of care for glaucoma.

Evaluating the costs, work patterns and efficiency (CORE) of comprehensive primary healthcare (CPHC) in India (The CPHC CORE study): a top-down micro-costing study protocol.

Introduction: Primary healthcare is broadly acknowledged as the cornerstone of any strategy aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This study aims to evaluate the costs, work patterns and efficiency of comprehensive primary healthcare (CPHC) in India.

Methods And Analysis: We will use a top-down microcosting approach to estimate the economic cost of services delivered at the primary healthcare facilities in India.

Corrigendum to "Access to timely cancer treatment initiation in India: extent, determinants and trends" [The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia, Volume 32, January 2025, 100514].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.lansea.

Measuring the quality of life of patients with diabetic retinopathy in northern India: a comparison of generic and vision specific instruments.

Background: Estimation of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in diabetic retinopathy (DR) patients is important to assess the impact of disease, to monitor the treatment outcomes, and conduct health technology assessments. The study aimed to measure the HRQoL in DR patients using the generic as well as disease specific instruments, identify the determinants of HRQoL, empirically investigate the concurrent validity between the QoL instruments, and to develop statistical approaches to map NEI-VFQ-25 (National Eye Institute- Visual Function Questionnaire- 25) composite score based on EQ-5D-5 L (EuroQol 5-dimensions 5-levels) utility values.

Methods: A facility based cross-sectional study was carried out to measure the HRQoL of 300 DR patients using EQ-5D-5 L, EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS), and NEI-VFQ-25 instruments.

Kawasaki disease: the most common cause of acquired heart disease among children globally.

Kawasaki disease is a childhood vasculitic disorder that has a special predilection for coronary arteries. Kawasaki disease has been reported from all regions of the world, with an increasing incidence in several countries. Kawasaki disease is now the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children all over the world.

Consensus Based Indian Guidelines for the Management of Pemphigus Vulgaris and Pemphigus Foliaceous.

Pemphigus is an autoimmune blistering disorder characterized by the presence of intraepidermal blisters and erosions, primarily affecting the mucosa and/or skin. There are no established Indian guidelines for the management of pemphigus, and Western guidelines cannot be directly applied due to differences in clinicodemographic profiles, comorbidities, and resource limitations. These guidelines aim to provide Indian dermatologists with evidence-based and consensus-driven recommendations for the management of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceous (PF), taking into account the unique challenges posed by the Indian healthcare setting.

Incremental cost of treating antimicrobial-resistant infections among hospitalised patients in India: a cohort study.

Background: Accurate estimates of incremental cost (IC) attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) provide information of immense public health importance to the policy makers. Here, we present the IC from patient perspective for treating antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in India.

Methods: This cohort study was conducted in eight hospitals including government (GH), private (PH) and trust hospitals (TH), considering their ownership, geographical location and categories of cities.

Access to timely cancer treatment initiation in India: extent, determinants and trends.

Background: Treatment delays are significantly associated with advanced stage, poor response to treatment, increased mortality risk, poor health outcomes, increased healthcare expenditures among cancer patients. However, factors associated with these delays have not yet been robustly evaluated. In order to bridge this gap, we determined the delayed time to treatment initiation (TTI) among cancer patients in India, ascertained its determinants, and assessed the trends of delayed TTI.

Digital supportive supervision (DiSS) of maternal health, child health and nutrition (MCHN) service delivery in Rajasthan, India: study protocol for impact evaluation and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: A digital supportive supervision (DiSS) tool was developed and implemented in Rajasthan, India, to enhance the coverage and quality of maternal health, child health and nutrition (MCHN) services. This study aims to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of DiSS compared to traditional paper-based supportive supervision.

Methods And Analysis: A quasi-experimental research design incorporating interrupted time series regression analysis will be employed to evaluate the impact of DiSS.

Framework for responsive financing of district hospitals of India.

Introduction: The current financing of public-sector district hospitals in India relies on historical budget allocations rather than actual utilization or healthcare needs. We utilized empirical data on healthcare delivery costs to develop the financing framework for these hospitals using a blended payment approach.

Methods: The primary data on cost of delivering services in 27 district hospitals across nine states of India was analysed along with indicators influencing the demand and supply of health services.

Incidence of Kawasaki disease among children in Chandigarh, India during 2015-2019: a trend analysis.

Background: Only limited information exists regarding the epidemiology of Kawasaki disease (KD) in low-income and middle-income countries. The present study provides the incidence of KD during 2015-2019 in Chandigarh, north India. Our centre follows the largest KD cohort in India.