Emily R. Smith

Economic Analysis of Children's Surgical Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Analysis.

Background Understanding the economic value of health interventions is essential for policy makers to make informed resource allocation decisions. The objective of this systematic review was to summarize available information on the economic impact of children’s surgical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods We searched MEDLINE (Pubmed), Embase, and Web of Science for relevant articles published between Jan. 1996 and Jan. 2015. We summarized reported cost information for individual interventions by country, including all costs, disability weights, health outcome measurements (most commonly disability-adjusted life years [DALYs] averted) and cost-effectiveness ratios (CERs). We calculated median CER as well as societal economic benefits (using a human capital approach) by procedure group across all studies. The methodological quality of each article was assessed using the Drummond checklist and the overall quality of evidence was summarized using a scale adapted from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Findings We identified 86 articles that met inclusion criteria, spanning 36 groups of surgical interventions. The procedure group with the lowest median CER was inguinal hernia repair (

Geospatial analysis of unmet pediatric surgical need in Uganda

15/DALY). The procedure group with the highest median societal economic benefit was neurosurgical procedures (

Pediatric Neurosurgical Outcomes Following a Neurosurgery Health System Intervention at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda

58,977). We found a wide range of study quality, with only 35% of studies having a Drummond score ≥ 7. Interpretation Our findings show that many areas of children’s surgical care are extremely cost-effective in LMICs, provide substantial societal benefits, and are an appropriate target for enhanced investment. Several areas, including inguinal hernia repair, trichiasis surgery, cleft lip and palate repair, circumcision, congenital heart surgery and orthopedic procedures, should be considered “Essential Pediatric Surgical Procedures” as they offer considerable economic value. However, there are major gaps in existing research quality and methodology which limit our current understanding of the economic value of surgical care.

Pediatric traumatic brain injury at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda

BACKGROUND In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), an estimated 85% of children do not have access to surgical care. The objective of the current study was to determine the geographic distribution of surgical conditions among children throughout Uganda. METHODS Using the Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS) survey, we enumerated 2176 children in 2315 households throughout Uganda. At the district level, we determined the spatial autocorrelation of surgical need with geographic access to surgical centers variable. FINDINGS The highest average distance to a surgical center was found in the northern region at 14.97km (95% CI: 11.29km-16.89km). Younger children less than five years old had a higher prevalence of unmet surgical need in all four regions than their older counterparts. The spatial regression model showed that distance to surgical center and care availability were the main spatial predictors of unmet surgical need. INTERPRETATION We found differences in unmet surgical need by region and age group of the children, which could serve as priority areas for focused interventions to alleviate the burden. Future studies could be conducted in the northern regions to develop targeted interventions aimed at increasing pediatric surgical care in the areas of most need. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.

Road traffic injuries: Cross-sectional cluster randomized countrywide population data from 4 low-income countries

OBJECTIVE Pediatric neurosurgical cases have been identified as an important target for impacting health disparities in Uganda, with over 50% of the population being less than 15 years of age. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the Duke-Mulago collaboration on pediatric neurosurgical outcomes in Mulago National Referral Hospital. METHODS We performed retrospective analysis of all pediatric neurosurgical cases who presented at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, to examine overall, preprogram (2005-2007), and postprogram (2008-2013) outcomes. We analyzed mortality, presurgical infections, postsurgical infections, length of stay, types of procedures, and significant predictors of mortality. Data on neurosurgical cases was collected from surgical logbooks, patient charts, and Mulago National Referral Hospitals yearly death registry. RESULTS Of 820 pediatric neurosurgical cases, outcome data were complete for 374 children. Among children who died within 30 days of a surgical procedure, the largest group was less than a year old (45%). Postinitiation of the Duke-Mulago collaboration, we identified an overall increase in procedures, with the greatest increase in cases with complex diagnoses. Although children ages 6-18 years of age were 6.66 times more likely to die than their younger counterparts preprogram, age was no longer a predictive variable postprogram. When comparing pre- and postprogram outcomes, mortality among pediatric patients within 30 days after a neurosurgical procedure increased from 4.3% to 10.0%, mortality after 30 days increased slightly from 4.9% to 5.0%, presurgical infections decreased by 4.6%, and postsurgery infections decreased slightly by 0.7%. CONCLUSIONS Our data show the provision of more complex neurological procedures does not necessitate improved outcomes. Rather, combining these higher-level procedures with essential pre- and postoperative care and continued efforts in health system strengthening for pediatric neurosurgical care throughout Uganda will help to address and decrease the burden throughout the country.

A systematic review and quality analysis of pediatric traumatic brain injury clinical practice guidelines

BACKGROUND In Uganda, TBI constitute the majority of neurosurgical admissions and deaths specially in the pediatric population. This study aims to determine the factors associated with poor outcome among pediatric TBI cases at a major referral hospital in western Uganda. METHODS This study was conducted at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) in western Uganda. All pediatric neurosurgical cases between 2012 and 2015 were reviewed. In-hospital mortality and discharge GCS were the main outcomes of interest. Multivariable logistic regression with backward elimination was used to determine the factors significantly associated with outcome. RESULTS A total of 381 pediatric TBI patients were admitted to MRRH between 2012 and 2015. The mean age was 8.6 (SD 5.6) with a male predominance (62.0%). The most common mechanism of injury overall was RTI, which was responsible for 71% of all TBI cases. In the multivariable logistic regression model, admission GCS < 13 was a strong predictor of poor outcome and in-hospital mortality compared to admission GCS ≥ 13, with patients demonstrating an odds ratio of 30 (95%CI: 7-132) and OR of 18 (95%CI: 4-79), respectively. CONCLUSION Given the lack of published literature on pediatric TBI in LMICs, this study was the first to describe and evaluate risk factors associated with TBI severity among pediatric patients at a major referral hospital in western Uganda. Injury severity on admission was the only variable found to be significantly associated with discharge outcome. This study ultimately highlights the need for more effective preventative measures to decrease admission severity.

Prevalence of Surgically Untreated Face, Head, and Neck Conditions in Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Household Survey

INTRODUCTION Road traffic injuries (RTI) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. The burden is highest in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) and is increasing. We aimed to describe the epidemiology of RTIs in 4 low-income countries using nationally representative survey data. METHODS The Surgeons Overseas Assessment of Surgical Needs (SOSAS) survey tool was administered in four countries: Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Nepal and Uganda. We performed nationally representative cross-sectional, cluster randomized surveys in each country. Information regarding demographics, injury characteristics, anatomic location of injury, healthcare seeking behavior, and disability from injury was collected. Data were reported with descriptive statistics and evaluated for differences between the four countries using statistical tests where appropriate. RESULTS A total of 13,765 respondents from 7115 households in the four countries were surveyed. RTIs occurred in 2.2% (2.0-2.5%) of the population and accounted for 12.9% (11.5-14.2%) of all injuries incurred. The mean age was 34 years (standard deviation ±1years); 74% were male. Motorcycle crashes accounted for 44.7% of all RTIs. The body regions most affected included head/face/neck (36.5%) followed by extremity fractures (32.2%). Healthcare was sought by 78% road injured; 14.8% underwent a major procedure (requiring anesthesia). Major disability resulting in limitations of work or daily activity occurred in 38.5% (33.0-43.9%). CONCLUSION RTIs account for a significant proportion of disability from injury. Younger men are most affected, raising concerns for potential detrimental consequences to local economies. Prevention initiatives are urgently needed to stem this growing burden of disease; additionally, improved access to timely emergency, trauma and surgical care may help alleviate the burden due to RTI in LMICs.

Disability Weights for Pediatric Surgical Procedures: A Systematic Review and Analysis

Background Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are a significant cause of mortality and morbidity for children globally. Adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines have been shown to improve TBI outcomes. To inform the creation of a pediatric TBI management guideline for a low and middle income country context, we assessed the quality of available clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the acute management pediatric TBI. Methods Articles were identified and retrieved from MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, LILACS, Africa-Wide Information and Global Index Medicus. These articles were screened by four reviewers independently. Based on the eligibility criteria, with the exception of literature reviews, opinion papers and editor’s letters, articles published from 1995 to November 11, 2016 which covered clinical recommendations, clinical practice or treatment guidelines for the acute management of pediatric TBI (within 24 hours) were included for review. A reference and citation analysis was performed. Seven independent reviewers from low, middle and high income clinical settings with knowledge of pediatric TBI management appraised the guidelines using the AGREE II instrument. Scores for the CPGs were aggregated by domain and overall assessment was determined. Results We screened 2372 articles of which 17 were retained for data extraction and guideline appraisal. Except for one CPG from a middle income country, the majority (16/17) of the guidelines were developed in high income countries. Seven guidelines were developed specifically for the pediatric population, while the remaining CPGs addressed the acute management of TBI in both adult and pediatric populations. The New Zealand Guideline Group (NZGG, 2006) received the highest overall assessment score of 46/49 (93.88%) followed by the Scandinavian Neurotrauma Committee (SNC, 2016) with a score of 45/49 (91.84%) followed by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN, 2009) and Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF 2012) both with scores of 44/49 (89.80%). CPGs from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (CCH 2006) and Sao Paulo Medical School Hospital/Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery (USP/BSN, 2001) received the lowest score of 27/49 (55.10%) subsequently followed by the Appropriateness Criteria (ACR, 2015) with 29/49 (59.18%). The domains for scope and purpose and clarity of presentation received the highest scores across the CPGs, while applicability and editorial independence domains had the lowest scores with a wider variability in score range for rigor of development and stakeholder involvement. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and guideline appraisal for pediatric CPGs concerning the acute management of TBI. Targeted guideline creation specific to the pediatric population has the potential to improve the quality of acute TBI CPGs. Furthermore, it is crucial to address the applicability of a guideline to translate the CPG from a published manuscript into clinically relevant local practice tools and for resource limited practice settings.

Health system assessment for safe surgical care in rural Nicaragua: a retrospective survey

BACKGROUND The Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need tool (SOSAS) was created to evaluate the burden of surgically treatable conditions in low- and middle-income countries. The goal of our study is to describe the face, head, and neck (FHN) conditions that need surgical care in Uganda, along with barriers to that care and disability from these conditions. METHODS A 2-stage cluster randomized SOSAS survey was administered in a cross-sectional manner between August and September 2014. Participants included randomly selected persons in 105 enumeration areas in 74 districts throughout Uganda with 24 households in each cluster. The SOSAS survey collected demographic and clinical data on all respondents. Univariate and multivariate logistic models evaluated associations of demographic characteristics and clinical characteristics of the FHN conditions and outcomes of whether health care was sought or surgical care was received. RESULTS Of the 4428 respondents, 331 (7.8%) reported having FHN conditions. The most common types of conditions were injury-related wounds. Of those who reported an FHN condition, 36% reported receiving no surgical care whereas 82.5% reported seeking health care. In the multivariate model, literacy and type of condition were significant predictors of seeking health care whereas village type, literacy, and type of condition remained significant predictors of receiving surgical care. CONCLUSIONS Many individuals in Uganda are not receiving surgical care and barriers include costs, rural residency, and literacy. Our study highlights the need for targeted interventions in various parts of Uganda to increase human resources for surgery and expand surgical capacity.

Availability of post-hospital services supporting community reintegration for children with identified surgical need in Uganda

BackgroundMetrics to measure the burden of surgical conditions, such as disability weights (DWs), are poorly defined, particularly for pediatric conditions. To summarize the literature on DWs of children’s surgical conditions, we performed a systematic review of disability weights of pediatric surgical conditions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodFor this systematic review, we searched MEDLINE for pediatric surgery cost-effectiveness studies in LMICs, published between January 1, 1996, and April 1, 2017. We also included DWs found in the Global Burden of Disease studies, bibliographies of studies identified in PubMed, or through expert opinion of authors (ES and HR).ResultsOut of 1427 publications, 199 were selected for full-text analysis, and 30 met all eligibility criteria. We identified 194 discrete DWs published for 66 different pediatric surgical conditions. The DWs were primarily derived from the Global Burden of Disease studies (72%). Of the 194 conditions with reported DWs, only 12 reflected pre-surgical severity, and 12 included postsurgical severity. The methodological quality of included studies and DWs for specific conditions varied greatly.InterpretationIt is essential to accurately measure the burden, cost-effectiveness, and impact of pediatric surgical disease in order to make informed policy decisions. Our results indicate that the existing DWs are inadequate to accurately quantify the burden of pediatric surgical conditions. A wider set of DWs for pediatric surgical conditions needs to be developed, taking into account factors specific to the range and severity of surgical conditions.