Objectives: To obtain health-related quality-of-life (HR-QOL) valuations (or `utilities') from New Zealand women for four health states representative of advanced (metastatic) breast cancer, suitable for use in cost-utility analysis, and to compare four valuation methodologies. Methods: Written...

Our study suggests that women in the New Zealand general public are able to consistently evaluate and value case descriptions of advanced breast cancer using either direct methods (VAS or TTO) or the EQ-5D health state classification system. Some of the valuations elicited using the four methods...

Clinical trials and meta-analyses of trials are models of clinical reality. A pharmacoeconomic model is a logical, quantitative blend of therapeutic and/or disease management strategies, evidence-based clinical outcomes, patient survival data and/or quality-of-life (utility) data,...

Introduction: Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp.) is a leading cause of paediatric bacterial meningitis, pneumonia and acute otitis media, as is non-typable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) for acute otitis media. In 2008, a 7-valent conjugated pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) was included in the New Zealand...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the origins and development of national inventories in Scotland and Wales from paper-based records to digital databases. The impact of digital technologies on data management and dissemination is considered....

The paper summarises the role of alternative dispute resolution, by ombudsmen and others, in the development of the European single financial market. It describes three particular initiatives sponsored by the European Commission — a financial services alternative dispute resolution (ADR)...

Desertification is a major environmental issue that is the focus of a recent UN convention (the CCD) that aims to improve the resolution of the problem. Desertification is however not a straight forward issue and has many controversial dimensions, in part due to confusion over its definition,...

Until the 1990's, Switzerland could be classified as either a corporatist, cooperative or coordinated market economy where non-market mechanisms of coordination among economic and political actors were very important. In this respect, Business Interest Associations (BIAs) played a key role. The...