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Aims: Pulmonary congestion remains a diagnostic challenge in patients with heart failure (HF). The recommended method, chest X-ray (CXR), lacks in accuracy, whereas quantitative tomographic lung scintigraphy [ventilation/perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (V/P SPECT)] has shown promising results but needs independent validation. The aim of this study is to evaluate V/P SPECT as a

This paper estimates a "Grossman" model of demand for health. We measure health status on a 0 (dead) to 1 (full health) cardinal scale by the rating scale method and the time trade-off method. We also use a categorical measure of overall health status commonly used in quality of life measurements. To estimate the demand for health equations, the Tobit technique is used for the rating scale and tim

The aim of this note is to validate Wagstaff and van Doorslaer's approach of constructing a continuous health measure to be used in the analysis of inequalities in health. We calculate health concentration indices for Uppsala County in Sweden based on three different health status measures: health measured according to the WvD approach based on a self-assessed categorical health measure, health me

A purchaser/provider split together with output-based reimbursement were recently introduced by several Swedish county councils. These changes have been motivated by arguments of efficiency and consumer choice. This paper tests the null hypothesis that hospital services are provided as efficiently by county councils with internal markets and output-based reimbursement as by county councils with bu

Background: Economic evaluation of new treatments in the field of glaucoma represents a challenge. In the absence of a clear epidemiological link between intra-ocular pressure (IOP) and disease progression to blindness, the economic impact of treatments that lower IOP on long-term outcome cannot be estimated. As an alternative, effectiveness may be expressed as the ability to control IOP over time

This paper investigates the redistributive effects of the Swedish health care financing system in 1980 and 1990 for four different financial sources: county council taxes, payroll taxes, direct payments and state grants. The redistributive effects are decomposed into vertical, horizontal and 'reranking' segments for each of the four financial sources. The data used are based on probability samples

This paper examines the determinants of hip fracture costs and further evaluates potential savings in costs when the occurrence of hip fracture is prevented. The costs of hip fracture are comprised of direct costs from health care and the social welfare system. Data were collected for 1,080 postmenopausal women admitted from private residence for primary hip fracture surgery during the year of 199

The objective of this study was to explain the variation in cesarean section rates among hospitals (obstetrical departments) in Sweden, and to discuss its potential economic consequences. Using data from The Swedish Medical Birth Registry 1991, we made a cross-sectional study of the cesarean section rate at the departmental level. We identified some 20 determinants, demand-related as well as suppl

Aims: To clarify the frequency and severity of diabetic retinopathy in a group of people with Type 2 diabetes and chronic diabetic foot ulcers, and to compare visual acuity, levels of retinopathy and clinical significant macular oedema with a matched control group of people with Type 2 diabetes without a history of chronic diabetic foot ulcers. Methods: Visual acuity and fundus imaging were evalua

There is mutual agreement that health care should be delivered according to need. In this article, although we employ different specifications for need, we conclude that there is inequity in the delivery of health care in Sweden. Higher income groups visit doctors more often than lower income groups in relation to need, but lower income groups remain in hospital longer once they have been admitted

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate what treatment strategies prevail in different countries for patients newly diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension (OH) only and initiated on treatment with beta-blockers, and to estimate the total direct cost of treatment for two years. In addition, differences in costs between and within the countries and t

This paper investigates the effects of changes in drug therapy on drug expenditure in Sweden between 1990 and 1995. Analyses have been carried out for both the aggregate drug expenditure and for drug expenditure according to the main groups of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system. Changes in expenditure can be divided into 3 components: the price of drugs, the quantity o

Standard price indices may not account for the price decrease that results when patients switch to pharmaceutical products for which their demand-reservation price exceeds the price of the new product. In a similar way, standard price indices may not account for the price increase that results when patients switch to pharmaceuticals for which the reservation price is below the price of the new dru

This paper uses international health expenditure and the latest OECD data to investigate the determinants of aggregate health expenditure. The study differs from most previous studies in two principal ways. First, it uses a somewhat larger sample for estimation, with pooled time-series, cross-section data for 22 OECD countries for a 20-year period. Most previous work has used a purely cross-sectio

This paper presents evidence on income-related inequalities in self- assessed health in nine industrialized countries. Health interview survey data were used to construct concentration curves of self-assessed health, measured as a latent variable. Inequalities in health favoured the higher income groups and were statistically significant in all countries. Inequalities were particularly high in the

This paper tests the null hypothesis of no horizontal inequity in delivery of health care by use of count data hurdle models and Swedish micro data. It differs from most earlier work in three principal ways: First, the tests are carried out separately for physician and hospital care; second, the tests are carried out separately for the probability of seeking care and the amount of care received (g

Expenditure on drugs is increasing rapidly in many countries, and this has led to increased interest in measures to contain drug expenditure. One measure that has been discussed is to increase user charges for prescription drugs. In this article, we consider whether or not raising user charges decreases the consumption of drugs. We also discuss how to judge if increased user charges for drugs are

OBJECTIVES. In clinical studies, it has been found that treating asthmatic patients with inhaled corticosteroids can reduce the need for in-patient care. The purpose of this study was to determine if such a relationship could be observed in available health-care statistics in Sweden and, if such a relationship could be established, what health economic consequences it implied. METHODS. A retrospec

In this note the veil of ignorance approach is tested as a basis for empirically determining the shape of the social welfare function for QALYs. An experiment is carried out where the participants choose between different societies that differ with respect to per capita QALYs and the distribution of QALYs. The answers are analyzed using logistic regression analysis, According to the results the re

It is generally expected that, in environments with pronounced seasonal resource peaks, birds’ reproductive success will be maximised when nestlings’ peak food demand coincides with the timing of high food availability. However in certain birds that stay resident over winter, earlier breeding leads juveniles to join the winter flock earlier, which by the prior residence effect increases their succ