Conditional Cash Transfer and School Outcomes: An Evaluation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program in Davao Oriental,Philippines

The present study adds to the empirical literature examining the effects of conditional cash transfers on school outcomes. Using school‐level and student‐level enrolment data from Davao Oriental Philippines, we evaluate the influence of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (also known as 4Ps), a social development policy program, on the growth rates in school enrolment outcomes. The findings show that 4Ps, on average, increased school enrolment of children by 1.12 percent. It was also apparent that using student‐level data as opposed to school‐level data revealed a more robust effect of 4Ps on school outcomes. We also found some school and socioeconomic characteristics influencing the change in school enrolments. Finally, this study highlights the role of government intervention programs in improving access to education in the poorest sector of the economy.     

The economic burden of common adverse events associated with metastatic colorectal cancer treatment in the United States

Aims: Adverse events (AEs) associated with treatments for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) may compromise the course of treatment, impact quality-of-life, and increase healthcare resource utilization. This study assessed the direct healthcare costs of common AEs among mCRC patients in the US.

Methods: Adult mCRC patients treated with chemotherapy or targeted therapies were identified from administrative claims databases (2009–2014). Up to the first three mCRC treatment episodes per patient were considered and categorized as with or without the AE system/organ category during the episode. Total healthcare costs (2014 USD) were measured by treatment episode and reported on a monthly basis. Treatment episodes with the AE category were matched by treatment type and line of treatment to those without the AE category. Adjusted total cost differences were estimated by comparing costs during treatment episodes with vs without the AE category using multivariate regression models; p-values were estimated with bootstrap.

Results: A total of 4158 patients with ≥1 mCRC treatment episode were included (mean age?=?59 years; 58% male; 60% with liver and 14% with lung metastases; 2,261 [54%] with a second and 1,115 [27%] with a third episode). On average, two treatment episodes were observed per patient with an average length of 166 days per episode. Adjusted monthly total cost difference by AE category included hematologic ($1,480), respiratory ($1,253), endocrine/metabolic ($1,213), central nervous system (CNS; $1,136), and cardiovascular ($1,036; all p?Limitations: Claims do not include information on the cause of AEs, and potentially less severe AEs may not have been reported by the physician when billing the medical service. This study aimed to assess the association between costs and AEs and not the causation of AEs by treatment.

Conclusions: The most costly AEs among mCRC patients were hematologic, followed by respiratory, endocrine/metabolic, CNS, and cardiovascular.     

Mapping EORTC-QLQ-C30 to EQ-5D-3L in patients with colorectal cancer

Aims: The primary aim of this study was to perform a mapping of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 scores to EQ-5D-3L for the SIRFLOX study; a large dataset of patients with previously untreated liver-only or liver-dominant metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). A secondary aim was to compare the predictive validity of existing mappings from EORTC-QLQ-C30 to EQ-5D-3L conducted in other cancers.

Methods and materials: Questionnaires (completed within 529 patients) were used in a linear mixed regression to model EQ-5D-3L utility values (scored using the UK tariff) as a function of the five function scores, nine symptom scores, and the global score from the EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire. A Tobit regression was also performed. The mean EQ-5D-3L values for the SIRFLOX trial were calculated and compared with predicted EQ-5D-3L values derived using published mapping algorithms.

Results: The linear mixed regression model provided a satisfactory mapping between the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and the EQ-5D-3L, whilst the Tobit model did not perform as well. When utilities from the SIRFLOX data were calculated with previously published mapping studies, three out of five studies performed well (< 10% mean difference).

Limitations: The main limitation of the study was the lack of meaningful observations post-progression (67 paired observations). For this reason, this study was unable to test whether the mapping holds by disease stage. Additionally, although the study adds to the literature of mappings to the EQ-5D-3L, it is not known how results would differ using the EQ-5D-5L.

Conclusion: This study is the first of its kind in liver-only or liver-dominant mCRC, and mCRC in general. The mapping constructed showed a good fit to the data and provides practitioners with an additional mapping between EORTC-QLQ-C30 to EQ-5D-3L using a large dataset (529 patients, 707 paired observations). The study also confirmed the generalizability of mappings published by Proskorovsky, Kontodimopoulos, and Longworth to liver-only or liver-dominant mCRC.     

Costs of providing infusion therapy for patients with inflammatory bowel disease in a hospital-based infusion center setting

Aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (e.g. ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn’s disease [CD]) severely impacts patient quality-of-life. Moderate-to-severe disease is often treated with biologics requiring infusion therapy, adding incremental costs beyond drug costs. This study evaluates US hospital-based infusion services costs for treatment of UC or CD patients receiving infliximab or vedolizumab therapy.

Materials and methods: A model was developed, estimating annual costs of providing monitored infusions using an activity-based costing framework approach. Multiple sources (published literature, treatment product inserts) informed base-case model input estimates.

Results: The total modeled per patient infusion therapy costs in Year 1 with infliximab and vedolizumab was $38,782 and $41,320, respectively, and Year 2+, $49,897 and $36,197, respectively. Drug acquisition cost was the largest total costs driver (90–93%), followed by costs associated with hospital-based infusion provision: labor (53–56%, non-drug costs), allocated overhead (23%, non-drug costs), non-labor (23%, non-drug costs), and laboratory (7–10%, non-drug costs).

Limitations: Limitations included reliance on published estimates, base-case cost estimates infusion drug, and supplies, not accounting for volume pricing, assumption of a small hospital infusion center, and that, given the model adopts the hospital perspective, costs to the patient were not included in infusion administration cost base-case estimates.

Conclusions: This model is an early step towards a framework to fully analyze infusion therapies’ associated costs. Given the lack of published data, it would be beneficial for hospital administrators to assess total costs and trade-offs with alternative means of providing biologic therapies. This analysis highlights the value to hospital administrators of assessing cost associated with infusion patient mix to make more informed resource allocation decisions. As the landscape for reimbursement changes, tools for evaluating the costs of infusion therapy may help hospital administrators make informed choices and weigh trade-offs associated with providing infusion services for IBD patients.     

大学生工作搜寻的“摘麦穗”效应——风险容忍视角下的大学生就业满意度分析

基于299份来自广东、江西、安徽和上海等地高校部分2014-2016年毕业大学生的问卷调查数据,利用SPSS19.0软件进行cox半参数模型回归和调节效应检验。结果表明,大学生工作搜寻就如同"摘麦穗",一是工作搜寻时间的影响因素是多样的,人际交往能力更强的大学生,在资本充足的基础下,为追求下一份更好的工作,会选择延长搜寻时间。本省外市、外倾性更强、情绪更不稳定、应聘能力更强的大学生,因其高水平的表现能力,或迫切期望实现就业的心态,而选择早早定下工作岗位。二是工作搜寻在风险容忍影响就业满意度中存在调节效应。具体地,不同群体中,工作搜寻所发挥的调节效应有所不同。在低风险容忍群组中,随着工作搜寻时间的延长,风险容忍较高的大学生所表现出的就业满意度越低。而高风险容忍群组中,工作搜寻的调节效应没有通过显著性检验。     

新就业大学生员工离职动因及其管理之浅见

如何降低新就业大学生员工的主动离职率,是那些接受大量大学生就业,处于高速发展阶段的高新技术企业迫切需要解决的问题。本文通过分析新就业大学生员工的群体特征,结合国内外离职动因理论,探讨了新就业大学生员工离职率居高不下的主要动因,并提出了有针对性的离职管理方略。     

Dysfunctional executive behavior: What can organizations do?

Much has been made of dysfunctional executive behavior in recent years. As such, the purpose of this article is to assist organizations in the design of executive work. To better construct a work environment that diminishes self-serving and unethical behavior, we propose that organizations structure an executive's work around three factors: the accountability environment, managerial discretion, and relationship composition. These factors are used to describe how organizations can better design executives’ work so as to promote more desirable executive behavior. We describe how these factors should be calibrated, as well as how they affect each other.     

Similar patient outcomes yet different hospital costs between flowable hemostatic agents

Abstract

Introduction:

SURGIFLO? and FLOSEAL® are absorbable gelatin-based products that form hemostatic matrices. These products are indicated as adjuncts to hemostasis when control of bleeding by conventional surgical techniques (such as suture, ligature or cautery) is ineffective or impractical. This study analyzed the effect of surgery time and the choice of product on cost to the hospital and patient outcomes.     

The Relationships among Theatrical Components,Experiential Value,Relationship Quality,and Relationship Marketing Outcomes

Both marketing practitioners and academic researchers have traditionally recognized the major influence that relationship quality (RQ) has on relationship marketing outcomes. Differing from previous studies, this study proposes a more integrated model by including theatrical components and experiential value in the “RQ-relationship marketing outcomes” paradigm. The structural relationships among the variables are examined by adopting a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach in the context of a theme park. The results confirm the existence of the path “theatrical components → experiential value → RQ → relationship marketing outcomes”.     

The effect of prior outcomes on gender risk-taking differences

This study proposed that men are more likely to take greater risk after a win (‘house money’ effect), while women are more likely to take greater risk after a loss (‘escalation of commitment’ effect). These effects are, however, moderated by prior experiences in risk-taking and role characteristics. Three distinct groups of 30 subjects (total?=?90) each were solicited to play an experimental betting game. The subjects were categorized into risk providers (RP), risk customers (RC), and non-risk customers (NRC). RP are represented by casino executives, RC by leisure life-time casino gamblers, and NRC by non-casino gamblers. On average, RC group was found to take most betting risk. Male RCs were more likely to bet more after a win, while female RCs were more likely to bet more after a loss. NRCs, irrespective of gender, were more likely to bet more after a loss. There were no gender risk-taking differences in prior outcomes in the RP group.