• Cost-effectiveness of a high-intensity versus a low-intensity smoking...
  Feldman, Inna; Helgason, Asgeir Runar; Johansson, Pia; Tegelberg, Ake; Nohlert, Eva; Tegelberg, Åke   Journal article in BMJ Open;8 : BMJ (2019)	Journal article

  

  

  English abstract:

  OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of a high-intensity and a low-intensity smoking cessation treatment programme (HIT and LIT) using long-term follow-up effectiveness data and to validate the cost-effectiveness results based on short-term follow-up. DESIGN AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Intervention effectiveness was estimated in a randomised controlled trial as numbers of abstinent participants after 1 and 5-8 years of follow-up. The economic evaluation was performed from a societal perspective using a Markov model by estimating future disease-related costs (in Euro (euro) 2018) and health effects (in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)). Programmes were explicitly compared in an incremental analysis, and the results were presented as an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. SETTING: The study was conducted in dental clinics in Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: 294 smokers aged 19-71 years were included in the study. INTERVENTIONS: Behaviour therapy, coaching and pharmacological advice (HIT) was compared with one counselling session introducing a conventional self-help programme (LIT). RESULTS: The more costly HIT led to higher number of 6-month continuous abstinent participants after 1 year and higher number of sustained abstinent participants after 5-8 years, which translates into larger societal costs avoided and health gains than LIT. The incremental cost/QALY of HIT compared with LIT amounted to euro918 and euro3786 using short-term and long-term effectiveness, respectively, which is considered very cost-effective in Sweden. CONCLUSION: CEA favours the more costly HIT if decision makers are willing to spend at least euro4000/QALY for tobacco cessation treatment.

  e030934.full.pdf   (264.8Kb)

  https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/8/e030934

• Three-dimensional evaluation of forced unilateral posterior crossbite...
  Sollenius, Ola; Golez, Aljaz; Primozic, Jasmina; Ovsenik, Maja; Bondemark, Lars; Petrén, Sofia   Journal article in European Journal of Orthodontics; : Oxford University Press (2019)	Journal article

  

  

  English abstract:

  OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to assess the three-dimensional (3D) treatment changes (palatal surface area and volume) of forced unilateral posterior crossbite correction using either quad-helix or removable expansion plate appliances in the mixed dentition, and to compare the treatment changes with the three-dimensional changes occurring in age-matched untreated unilateral posterior crossbite patients as well as in subjects with normal occlusion and with no or mild orthodontic treatment need. TRIAL DESIGN: Six-arm parallel group multicentre randomized controlled trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One-hundred and thirty-five patients with unilateral posterior crossbite with functional shift were recruited. The patients were randomized by an independent person not involved in the trial. The randomization used blocks of 25, and the patients were randomized into the following five groups: quad-helix treatments in specialist orthodontic clinics (QHS), quad-helix treatments in general dentistry (QHG), removable expansion plate treatments in specialist orthodontic clinics (EPS), removable expansion plate treatments in general dentistry (EPG), and untreated crossbite (UC). Twenty-five patients with normal occlusion who served as normal controls were also included in the trial. Blinding of the outcome assessor and data analyst was accomplished. Data on all children were evaluated on an intention-to-treat basis, regarding 3D palatal surface area, palatal projection area, and palatal shell volume; two-dimensional linear measurements were registered at the same time. RESULTS: After treatment, the surface and projection area and shell volume increased in the four treatment groups (QHS, QHG, EPS, and EPG). QHS increased significantly more than EPG for the surface and projection area. The QHS and EPS had significantly higher mean difference for shell volume. LIMITATIONS: The trial considers a short-term evaluation. CONCLUSION: After treatment, there were no significant differences between the four treatment groups and the normal group, which implies that the surface and projection area together with the shell volume for the four treatment groups and the normal group were equivalent. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with https://www.researchweb.org/is/sverige, registration number: 220751.

• On the Cleanliness of Different Oral Implant Systems : A Pilot Study.
  Duddeck, Dirk U; Albrektsson, Tomas; Wennerberg, Ann; Larsson, Christel; Beuer, Florian   Journal article in Journal of Clinical Medicine;9 : MDPI (2019)	Journal article

  

  

  English abstract:

  (1) Background: This paper aimed to compare the cleanliness of clinically well-documented implant systems with implants providing very similar designs. The hypothesis was that three well-established implant systems from Dentsply Implants, Straumann, and Nobel Biocare were not only produced with a higher level of surface cleanliness but also provided significantly more comprehensive published clinical documentation than their correspondent look-alike implants from Cumdente, Bioconcept, and Biodenta, which show similar geometry and surface structure. (2) Methods: Implants were analyzed using SEM imaging and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to determine the elemental composition of potential impurities. A search for clinical trials was carried out in the PubMed database and by reaching out to the corresponding manufacturer. (3) Results: In comparison to their corresponding look-alikes, all implants of the original manufacturers showed-within the scope of this analysis-a surface free of foreign materials and reliable clinical documentation, while the SEM analysis revealed significant impurities on all look-alike implants such as organic residues and unintended metal particles of iron or aluminum. Other than case reports, the look-alike implant manufacturers provided no reports of clinical documentation. (4) Conclusions: In contrast to the original implants of market-leading manufacturers, the analyzed look-alike implants showed significant impurities, underlining the need for periodic reviews of sterile packaged medical devices and their clinical documentation.

  jcm-08-01280-v2.pdf   (32.88Mb)

  https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/8/9/1280

• Organisational models of health services for children and adolescents...
  Mensah, Tita; Hjern, Anders; Håkanson, Kickan; Johansson, Pia; Jonsson, Ann Kristine; Mattsson, Titti; Tranæus, Sofia; Vinnerljung, Bo; Östlund, Pernilla; Klingberg, Gunilla   Journal article in Acta Paediatrica; : Wiley (2019)	Journal article

  

  

  English abstract:

  AIM: Decades of research confirm that children and adolescents in out-of-home care (foster family, residential care) have much greater healthcare needs than their peers. A systematic literature review was conducted to evaluate organizational healthcare models for this vulnerable group. METHODS: A systematic literature search was undertaken of the following databases: Academic Search Elite, CENTRAL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cinahl, DARE, ERIC, HTA, PsycInfo, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, PubMed, SocIndex. Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials were to be included. Two pairs of reviewers independently assessed abstracts of the identified published papers. Abstracts meeting the inclusion criteria were ordered in full text. Each article was reviewed independently, by pairs of reviewers. A joint assessment was made based on the inclusion criteria and relevance. Cases of disagreement were resolved by consensus discussion. RESULTS: No study with low or medium risk of bias was identified. CONCLUSION: In the absence of studies of acceptable quality, it is not possible to assess the impact of organizational models intended to ensure adequate health and dental care for children and adolescents in out-of-home care. Therefore, well-designed follow-up studies should be conducted following the implementation of such models. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  Mensah_et_al-2019-Acta_Paediatrica.pdf   (713.0Kb)

  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apa.15002

• Economic perspectives on migration
  Karpestam, Peter; Andersson, Fredrik NG Eds: Gold, Stephen J.; Nawyn, Stephanie J.   Book chapter in Routledge International Handbook of Migration Studies [2nd edition] : Routledge Serie: Routledge International Handbooks; (2019)	Book chapter

  

  

  English abstract:

  The economic literature on migration has a strong focus on labor migration. It typically distinguishes between migration within countries and between countries and it focuses on the determinants of migration rather than their consequences. Motives and consequences of migration are difficult to separate. We explore the policy implications and empirical support of six common theories. We distinguish between theories of (1) the initiating causes of migration and (2) the self-perpetuating causes of migration, i.e. how current migration flows can cause future migration flows. Our discussion reveals the complexity of motives to migrate, which highlights the necessity of viewing different theories as complementary rather than contradictory. For instance, the new economics of labor migration complements neoclassical theories by emphasizing that households rather than individuals often make migration decisions and by dropping the assumption that individuals are risk-neutral. Further, macroeconomic theories complement microeconomic theories by highlighting that basic structural characteristics of the economy, such as segmented labor markets and scarcity of land, can induce migration flows. Finally, we show that when evaluating different theories empirically, there is support for different theories at different time horizons (the short run, medium run and long run), a supposition commonly ignored in the empirical literature.

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