All Resources

Report to Albertans on health

Description

Discusses developments in health care and health care reform since the release of Alberta’s 5-year health action plan. Includes an overview of the health action plan. Separate editions of the... More ≫

Description

Discusses developments in health care and health care reform since the release of Alberta’s 5-year health action plan. Includes an overview of the health action plan. Separate editions of the resource also present health capital highlights for five regions of the province.

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STE report : transarterial radioembolization for the treatment of hepatic neoplasia : final STE report

Description

The report reviews the use of transarterial radioembolization (TARE) for the treatment of primary and secondary hepatic neoplasia for the purpose of considering its potential as a publically... More ≫

Description

The report reviews the use of transarterial radioembolization (TARE) for the treatment of primary and secondary hepatic neoplasia for the purpose of considering its potential as a publically funded health service in Alberta.

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Vitamin D testing : rapid literature review

Description

The clinical utility of testing individuals deemed at average risk for vitamin D deficiency has received the attention of the medical community in recent years. The objectives of this literature... More ≫

Description

The clinical utility of testing individuals deemed at average risk for vitamin D deficiency has received the attention of the medical community in recent years. The objectives of this literature review were: to outline the specific indications for vitamin D testing as reflected in the literature; to identify the number and type of studies for each indication; to review the abstracts of vitamin D randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses; and to review the Health Technology Assessment reports available.

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Point-of-care testing for oral anticoagulant management with portable prothrombin time systems

Description

Atrial fibrillation, venous thrombosis and thromboembolism are common diseases which require oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT). The current gold-standard method for monitoring the international... More ≫

Description

Atrial fibrillation, venous thrombosis and thromboembolism are common diseases which require oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT). The current gold-standard method for monitoring the international normalized ratio (INR) is laboratory testing of blood obtained by venepuncture. However, patients may find testing to be time consuming and inconvenient. With the development of portable coagulometers it is now possible to measure INR outside the laboratory setting. This review looks at the effectiveness of patient self-management (PSM), patient self-testing (PST) and point-of-care testing (POCT) by health care practitioners using portable coagulometers, compared to conventional laboratory testing.

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Artificial disc arthroplasty (ACDA)

Description

Artificial cervical disc arthroplasty (ACDA) is a surgical procedure that may replace cervical fusion in selected patients suffering from cervical degenerative disc disease. The main outcome of... More ≫

Description

Artificial cervical disc arthroplasty (ACDA) is a surgical procedure that may replace cervical fusion in selected patients suffering from cervical degenerative disc disease. The main outcome of ACDA that sets it apart from fusion is the preservation of the spine mobility. The aim of this report is to review the literature for evidence of effectiveness and safety of the cervical artificial disks approved by Health Canada.

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Assessment of the potential lifetime cancer risks associated with exposure to inorganic arsenic among indigenous people living in the Wood Buffalo region of Alberta

Description

The toxicity of arsenic is a subject of considerable research, as well as some controversy, particularly in relation to its potential to cause cancer. In order to better understand and assess the... More ≫

Description

The toxicity of arsenic is a subject of considerable research, as well as some controversy, particularly in relation to its potential to cause cancer. In order to better understand and assess the significance of the elevated cancer risk from arsenic exposure, Alberta Health and Wellness retained Cantox Environmental Inc. (CEI) to review previous research and assess the potential cancer risk using refined methodology consistent with that typically used by CEI. The work was meant to serve as a “second opinion” of the lifetime cancer risk that could be presented to people living in the Wood-Buffalo region from arsenic exposure.

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Fetal fibronectin testing for the diagnosis of preterm labour : a review of the economics literature and cost analysis for Alberta

Description

Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the biggest problems in modern obstetrics, as it is responsible for the majority of perinatal mortality and adverse long-term neurological outcomes. For spontaneous... More ≫

Description

Preterm birth (PTB) is one of the biggest problems in modern obstetrics, as it is responsible for the majority of perinatal mortality and adverse long-term neurological outcomes. For spontaneous preterm labour (PTL) without rupture of membranes, the majority of women presenting with symptoms will go on to deliver at term. Thus, the challenge in practise is to correctly identify those women who are in true preterm labour and will deliver preterm. The fetal fibronectin (fFN) test is a diagnostic test that can be used to help diagnose PTL in women. The primary advantage of the test is its simplicity of use and the strong negative predictive value. This potentially gives the ability to more accurately identify those women who are in true preterm labour, and who therefore need to be transferred and treated. The objectives of this report was to review the published literature examining the economic impact of fFN test, and to examine the cost implications of fetal fibronectin testing in...

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Health costing in Alberta annual report

Description

Annual report describing the work done by the Alberta Costing Partnership. The Health Resourcing Branch in the Ministry of Health and Wellness is responsible for carrying on the health costing... More ≫

Description

Annual report describing the work done by the Alberta Costing Partnership. The Health Resourcing Branch in the Ministry of Health and Wellness is responsible for carrying on the health costing mandate. This work is done in conjunction with six regional health authorities who utilize a common costing framework and processes to generate patient-specific case costs.

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Proceedings from the Chronic Pain Initiatives meeting, September 17, 2003

Description

Alberta Health and Wellness hosted a conference on chronic pain on September 17, 2003. Participants shared information and research on recent chronic pain initiatives, and discussed the... More ≫

Description

Alberta Health and Wellness hosted a conference on chronic pain on September 17, 2003. Participants shared information and research on recent chronic pain initiatives, and discussed the opportunities and challenges this area of health research faces. Included in this conference proceedings document are research reports provided in advance to all attendees and a series of presentations made by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, Alberta Health and Wellness, the University of Calgary, Calgary Chronic Pain Centre, and Lifemark Health Institute Inc. The document concludes with a summary of group discussion, and "next steps" to be taken.

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Population projections for Alberta and its health regions, 2000-2030

Description

This report presents population projections for Alberta and its health regions for the time period 2000 to 2030. The model developed in previous reports was applied to population figures derived... More ≫

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This report presents population projections for Alberta and its health regions for the time period 2000 to 2030. The model developed in previous reports was applied to population figures derived from the Alberta Health Insurance Plan Stakeholder registry, with adjustments made to the previous model to account for recent high migration to three health regions: Calgary Regional Health Authority, Capital Health Authority, and David Thompson Health Authority.

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