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Mortality convergence in the enlarged European Union: a systematic literature review.

ABSTRACT: Background: The high mortality rates in the European Union (EU) Member States that acceded in 2004 sparked political interest in mortality convergence. Whether mortality is converging in the EU remains unclear. We reviewed the literature on mortality convergence in the post-2004 EU territory as a whole. We also explored whether the study designs influenced the results and whether any determinants of mortality convergence had been empirically examined.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed. Our search included scientific databases and the websites of international governmental institutions and European demographic research institutes.

Results: We uncovered 94 unique records and included seven studies that reported on 36 analyses. There was marked methodological heterogeneity, including in the convergence measures (beta and sigma convergence). All of the beta convergence analyses found narrowing mortality differentials, whereas most of the sigma convergence analyses found widening mortality differentials. The results are robust to the units of analysis and mortality and dispersion measures. Our results also suggest that there is a lack of evidence on the determinants of mortality convergence in the EU.

Conclusions: There is general agreement that the EU regions and the Member States with high initial mortality rates improved the fastest, but this trend did not lead to overall mortality convergence in the EU. The harmonization of mortality convergence measures and research into determinants of mortality convergence are needed to support future EU cohesion policy. Policy-makers should consider supporting areas that have moderate but stagnant mortality rates, in addition to those with high mortality rates.

SUBMITTER: Hrzic R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7733049 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mortality convergence in the enlarged European Union: a systematic literature review.

Hrzic Rok R Vogt Tobias T Janssen Fanny F Brand Helmut H

European journal of public health 20201201 6

<h4>Background</h4>The high mortality rates in the European Union (EU) Member States that acceded in 2004 sparked political interest in mortality convergence. Whether mortality is converging in the EU remains unclear. We reviewed the literature on mortality convergence in the post-2004 EU territory as a whole. We also explored whether the study designs influenced the results and whether any determinants of mortality convergence had been empirically examined.<h4>Methods</h4>A systematic literatur ...[more]

PMID: 32206793

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Project description:BackgroundPolicymakers and regulators in the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) are weighing reforms to their medical device approval and post-market surveillance systems. Data may be available that identify strengths and weakness of the approaches to medical device regulation in these settings.Methods and findingsWe performed a systematic review to find empirical studies evaluating medical device regulation in the US or EU. We searched Medline using two nested categories that included medical devices and glossary terms attributable to the US Food and Drug Administration and the EU, following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. We supplemented this search with a review of the US Government Accountability Office online database for reports on US Food and Drug Administration device regulation, consultations with local experts in the field, manual reference mining of selected articles, and Google searches using the same key terms used in the Medline search. We found studies of premarket evaluation and timing (n?=?9), studies of device recalls (n?=?8), and surveys of device manufacturers (n?=?3). These studies provide evidence of quality problems in pre-market submissions in the US, provide conflicting views of device safety based largely on recall data, and relay perceptions of some industry leaders from self-surveys.ConclusionsFew studies have quantitatively assessed medical device regulation in either the US or EU. Existing studies of US and EU device approval and post-market evaluation performance suggest that policy reforms are necessary for both systems, including improving classification of devices in the US and promoting transparency and post-market oversight in the EU. Assessment of regulatory performance in both settings is limited by lack of data on post-approval safety outcomes. Changes to these device approval and post-marketing systems must be accompanied by ongoing research to ensure that there is better assessment of what works in either setting.

Project description:ObjectivesDespite the availability of HIV testing guidelines to facilitate prompt diagnosis, late HIV diagnosis remains high across Europe. The study synthesizes recent evidence on HIV testing strategies adopted in health care settings in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA).MethodsPreferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed and systematic searches were run in five databases (2010-2017) to identify studies describing HIV testing interventions in health care settings in the EU/EEA. The grey literature was searched for unpublished studies (2014-2017). Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction and critical appraisal.ResultsOne hundred and thirty intervention and/or feasibility studies on HIV testing in health care settings were identified. Interventions included testing provision (n = 94), campaigns (n = 14) and education and training for staff and patients (n = 20). HIV test coverage achieved through testing provision varied: 2.9-94% in primary care compared to 3.9-66% in emergency departments. HIV test positivity was lower in emergency departments (0-1.3%) and antenatal services (0-0.05%) than in other hospital departments (e.g. inpatients: 0-5.3%). Indicator condition testing programmes increased HIV test coverage from 3.9-72% before to 12-85% after their implementation, with most studies reporting a 10-20% increase. There were 51 feasibility and/or acceptability studies that demonstrated that HIV testing interventions were generally acceptable to patients and providers in health care settings (e.g. general practitioner testing acceptable: 77-93%).ConclusionsThis review has identified several strategies that could be adopted to achieve high HIV testing coverage across a variety of health care settings and populations in the EU/EEA. Very few studies compared the intervention under investigation to a baseline, but, where this was assessed, data suggested increases in testing.

Project description:ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to systematically review the mortality and morbidity associated with scleroderma renal crisis and to determine temporal trends.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from database inception to 10 February 2020. Bibliographies of selected articles were hand-searched for additional references. Data were extracted using a standardized extraction form. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results were analysed qualitatively.ResultsTwenty studies with 14,059 systemic sclerosis subjects, of which 854 had scleroderma renal crisis and 4095 had systemic sclerosis-associated end-stage renal disease, met inclusion criteria. Study quality was generally moderate. Cumulative mortality in the post-angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor era was approximately 20% at 6 months, 30%-36% at 1 year, 19%-40% at 3 years and almost 50% at 10 years from scleroderma renal crisis onset. Although the introduction of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in the early 1970s resulted in a 50% improvement in scleroderma renal crisis mortality, there was no further improvement thereafter. Scleroderma renal crisis mortality rates were proportionally higher than mortality rates associated with other systemic sclerosis organ involvement. The rate of permanent dialysis after scleroderma renal crisis in the post-angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor era ranged from 19%-40%. Three to 17% of systemic sclerosis patients underwent renal transplant. Survival was better in patients post-renal transplant (54%-91%) compared to those on dialysis (31%-56%). Graft survival improved over time and appeared similar to that of patients with other types of end-stage renal disease.ConclusionWhile there has been considerable improvement in scleroderma renal crisis-related outcomes since the introduction of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, morbidity and mortality remain high for affected patients without convincing evidence of further improvement in the post-angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor era. Novel treatments are required to improve outcomes of scleroderma renal crisis.

Dataset Information

Mortality convergence in the enlarged European Union: a systematic literature review.

Publications

Mortality convergence in the enlarged European Union: a systematic literature review.

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