Browsing by Author "Singh, Paramdeep"

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    Breathe: A cost-effectiveness evaluation of breath-based lung cancer screenings
    (New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training, 2022-09) Emery, Herb; Cameron, Jillian; Dutton, Daniel J.; Singh, Paramdeep; Chan, Alvin; McDonald, Ted
    Current incidence rates of lung cancer in the United States show that per 100,000 population, lung cancer will occur in 49 women and 60 men. Nearly half a million individuals in the United States were diagnosed with lung cancer between 2013 and 2017, and Canadian prevalence rates are similar: nearly 30,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Mortality due to lung cancer is significant as well: approximately 130,000 people in the US and 21,000 people in Canada die annually due to lung cancer. Costs for treatment are also substantial, totaling about $2 billion per year in Canada, or approximately $70,000 per case. The high cost per case of cancer arises from many factors, central among them the advanced stage at diagnosis of many tumors leading to expensive therapies and treatments, costs for formal and informal caregivers, and life-years lost. The incidence and high mortality and costs associated with lung cancer show that lowering both the percentage of people receiving lung cancer diagnoses and the costs of treating lung cancer are important issues for our healthcare systems.
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    Planning for community resiliency in recovery from COVID-19: October 2, 2020
    (New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training, 2020-10-02) Magalhaes, Sandra; Gorman-Asal, Madeleine; Singh, Paramdeep; Somayaji, Chandy
    Population-based risk indicators can support decision-making in planning for future waves of, and recovery from, COVID-19. They can inform efforts to limit spread and exacerbation of infection in those most at risk and help identify at-risk groups likely impacted by measures to limit spread. As part of our research, we are deriving risk indicators using population-level data that can help identify vulnerable populations who may be at higher risk of consequences related to COVID-19 infection or public health restrictions, including - poor health outcomes associated with infection, - greater risk of infection in collective dwellings, - mental health impacts associated with distancing measures, - poor educational outcomes due to school closures, and - financial vulnerability associated with employment interruptions. - While stay-at-home measures aim to reduce community spread of infection and protect those vulnerable to poor health outcomes, they increase proximity among those living in collective dwellings. In the absence of complete lockdown, the opportunity for infection to enter the home exists. Those living in residential facilities (e.g. special care homes) and apartments have greater risk of infection. As measures relax, schools re-open, which further increases opportunity for transmission across households. Public health measures to control spread of COVID-19 may also have unintended consequences for individuals residing alone, low-income families, individuals with uncertain employment, children with special needs, individuals susceptible to mental health challenges, and those with chronic conditions unable to manage them effectively. The goal of our research is to develop an analytical framework to generate community level indicators that are relevant to COVID-19 pandemic planning and recovery efforts in New Brunswick.
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    Projected outcomes of an expanded role for pharmacy professionals in the provision of publicly funded immunization services in New Brunswick
    (New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training, 2021-10) Folkins, Chris; Gorman-Asal, Madeleine; Magalhaes, Sandra; Brewster, Clark; Gulliver, Adrienne; Singh, Paramdeep; Foster, Rebecca; Miah, Pablo; Thomson, Emily; McDonald, Ted
    New Brunswick (NB) legislation permits pharmacy professionals (pharmacists, and as of 2021, registered pharmacy technicians) to administer a wide range of immunizations to their patients. Many vaccines in New Brunswick are publicly funded and available at no charge to patients when administered by a physician or nurse practitioner; however, the majority of these vaccines are not publicly funded when administered by pharmacy professionals, even though legislation permits their administration. Currently, only vaccines against influenza and COVID-19 are publicly funded when administered by pharmacy professionals in NB. This creates a scenario in which patients wishing to take advantage of the convenience and accessibility offered by pharmacy-based vaccination services must pay for most vaccinations (including drug costs and service administration fees) out of pocket – even when, in the case of publicly funded vaccines, these same vaccinations are available through a physician at no cost to the patient. This situation represents a barrier to accessible health services, particularly for NB residents who do not have access to a primary care provider, and a missed opportunity to take advantage of the full scope of practice of NB’s pharmacy professionals. By expanding the repertoire of publicly funded vaccinations that can be administered by pharmacy professionals, it is hypothesized that cost savings, improved health outcomes, and improved access to care could be realized in New Brunswick. The main objective of this study is to understand how expanding the number of publicly funded vaccines pharmacy professionals can administer would impact provincial spending, access to care, and health outcomes in New Brunswick.