Since the challenge of determining which of learn more many technologies to fund is one that healthcare systems have faced since their inception, an analysis of actual processes, criticisms confronted and approaches used to manage them may serve to guide the development of an ‘evidence-informed’ decision-making framework for improving the acceptability of decisions.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a technology funding decision-making framework informed by the experiences of multiple healthcare systems and the views of senior-level decision makers in Canada.
Methods: A 1-day, facilitated workshop was held with 16 senior-level healthcare
decision makers in Canada. International examples of actual technology funding decision-making processes were presented. Participants discussed key elements of these processes, debated strengths and weaknesses and highlighted unresolved challenges. The findings were used to construct a technology decision-making framework
on which participant feedback was then sought. Its relevance, content, structure and feasibility were further assessed through key informant interviews with ten additional senior-level decision makers.
Results: Six main issues surrounding current processes were raised: (i) timeliness; (ii) methodological considerations; (iii) interpretations Nirogacestat of ‘value for money’; (iv) explication of social values; (v) stakeholder engagement; and (vi) ‘accountability for reasonableness’. While no attempt was made to force consensus on what should constitute each of these, there was widespread agreement on questions that must be addressed through a ‘robust’ process. These questions, grouped and ordered into three phases, became the final framework.
Conclusions: A decision-making framework informed by processes in other jurisdictions and the views of local decision makers was developed. Pilot testing underway in one Canadian
jurisdiction will identify any further Small Molecule Compound Library refinements needed to optimize its usefulness.”
“Effects of atomic oxygen (AO) and ultraviolet (UV) on a polymer film with surface energy of 8.0 mJ m(-2) derived from poly(1H, 1H-perfluorooctyl methylacrylate) were investigated by contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscope. The film was exposed to AO with a flux of 6.73 x 10(15) atoms cm(-2) s(-1) and UV with intensity of 15.8 mW cm(-2) at wavelength of 200-450 nm, respectively. It is found that AO and UV irradiation resulted in the reduction of film thickness, change of wettability, and increase of surface energy, and AO exhibited more serious effects than UV on the fluorinated polymer film. Reduced rate of thickness of the film was almost proportional to the AO exposure time. After exposed to AO and UV irradiation, the surface energy of the film increased to 17.3 mJ m(-2) and 11.0 mJ m(-2), respectively. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.