Cost

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, impaired quality of life, and healthcare costs. Medication adherence and appropriate self-management are important components of COPD management; however, patients' health beliefs and perceptions may influence their adherence to treatment and engagement in recommended health behaviours. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a pharmacist-led educational intervention based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) on medication adherence, quality of life, and direct healthcare costs among patients with COPD receiving care at Buraidah Central Hospital (BCH) in Al-Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. This study will use a quantitative, quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control-group design. Eligible COPD patients will be non-randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive structured, pharmacist-led HBM-based educational sessions in addition to routine care. In contrast, the control group will receive standard care without additional education. Baseline assessments will include medication adherence using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 (MMAS-8); quality of life and health status using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT); health beliefs using a structured HBM questionnaire; and direct medical costs obtained from the hospital clinical cost centre. The educational intervention will be delivered over six months, followed by post-intervention assessment using the same outcome measures.

BACKGROUND: Alginate impressions have long been a staple in orthodontics, but with recent technological advancements, digital impressions via intraoral scans are gaining increasing popularity. While much research has focused on patient preference and the accuracy of these techniques, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding chair side time and associated costs. Existing studies on chair side time comparisons between alginate impressions and intraoral scanning yield inconsistent results, underscoring the need for further investigation. This study aimed to evaluate the chair side time and cost implications of intraoral scanning and alginate impressions. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective is to compare the chair side time taken for alginate impressions and intraoral scanning of orthodontic patients aged 9 years and over in an orthodontic department at a district general hospital. The secondary objective is to evaluate the costs associated with alginate impressions and intraoral scanning of orthodontic patients described above. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective, single-centre, parallel-arm randomised controlled trial (1:1 allocation) to be undertaken in a district general hospital. Sixty-eight orthodontic patients aged nine and above, requiring study models, will be recruited during new patient appointments at the Orthodontic Department at Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham. Patients will be randomly assigned to either the intraoral scan or alginate impression group, with chair side time recorded for each procedure, including retakes. The IOS group will use the 3Shape TRIOS scanner, while the alginate group will follow standard procedures. The costs of each technique will be calculated following the procedure. Ethical approval was obtained from a Health Research Authority Research Ethics Committee. OUTCOMES: N/A CONCLUSIONS: N/A