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This article aims to illustrate and critically analyze the results from the 1-year experience of using health technology assessment (HTA) in the development of the Thai Universal Coverage health benefit package. We review the relevant documents and give a descriptive analysis of outcomes resulting from the development process in 2009-2010. Out of 30 topics nominated by stakeholders for prioritization, 12 were selected for further assessment. A total of five new interventions were recommended for inclusion in the benefit package based on value for money, budget impact, feasibility and equity reasons. Different stakeholders have diverse interests and capabilities to participate in the process. In conclusion, HTA is helpful for informing coverage decisions for health benefit packages because it enhances the legitimacy of policy decisions by increasing the transparency, inclusiveness and accountability of the process. There is room for improvement of the current use of HTA, including providing technical support for patient representatives and civic groups, better communication between health professionals, and focusing more on health promotion and disease prevention.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/cer.12.10 | DOI Listing |
J Med Microbiol
September 2025
Alberta Precision Laboratories Public Health Lab, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
For thousands of years, parasitic infections have represented a constant challenge to human health. Despite constant progress in science and medicine, the challenge has remained mostly unchanged over the years, partly due to the vast complexity of the host-parasite-environment relationships. Over the last century, our approaches to these challenges have evolved through considerable advances in science and technology, offering new and better solutions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
September 2025
School of Integrated Circuits, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, P. R. China.
Transient electronics that can degrade after fulfilling their designed functionalities offer transformative potentials in biomedical implants (eliminating secondary surgeries), ecofriendly consumer electronics (reducing e-waste), and secure systems. However, the development of reliable transient energy supplies remains a critical challenge, thus limiting their widespread implementation. Among various solutions, wireless power supplies via near-field inductive coupling stand out as particularly promising candidates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Hum Factors
September 2025
Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to quarantine to slow the rate of transmission, causing communities to transition into virtual spaces. Asian American and Pacific Islander communities faced the additional challenge of discrimination that stemmed from racist and xenophobic rhetoric in the media. Limited data exist on technology use among Asian American and Pacific Islander adults during the height of the COVID-19 shelter-in-place period and its effect on their physical and mental health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Sens
September 2025
METU MEMS Center, Ankara 06530, Türkiye.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a leading cause of death, particularly in developing countries, where their incidence continues to rise. Traditional CVD diagnostic methods are often time-consuming and inconvenient, necessitating more efficient alternatives. Rapid and accurate measurement of cardiac biomarkers released into body fluids is critical for early detection, timely intervention, and improved patient outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJAMA Dermatol
September 2025
Department of Population Health, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Importance: Increasingly, strategies to systematically detect melanomas invoke targeted approaches, whereby those at highest risk are prioritized for skin screening. Many tools exist to predict future melanoma risk, but most have limited accuracy and are potentially biased.
Objectives: To develop an improved melanoma risk prediction tool for invasive melanoma.