Renal tariffs for PbR need to reflect the true cost of dialysis provision if choices about modalities are not to be influenced by erroneous estimates of cost. Knowledge of the true costs of modalities will also maximize the number of established renal failure patients treated by dialysis within the limited funds available from the NHS.

Objectives: The Eighth Mount Hood Challenge (held in St. Gallen, Switzerland, in September 2016) evaluated the transparency of model input documentation from two published health economics studies and developed guidelines for improving transparency in the reporting of input data underlying model-based economic analyses in diabetes. Methods: Participating modeling groups were asked to reproduce the results of two published studies using the input data described in those articles. Gaps in input data were filled with assumptions reported by the modeling groups. Goodness of fit between the results reported in the target studies and the groups' replicated outputs was evaluated using the slope of linear regression line and the coefficient of determination (R 2 ). After a general discussion of the results, a diabetes-specific checklist for the transparency of model input was developed. Results: Seven groups participated in the transparency challenge. The reporting of key model input parameters in the two studies, including the baseline characteristics of simulated patients, treatment effect and treatment intensification threshold assumptions, treatment effect evolution, prediction of complications and costs data, was inadequately transparent (and often missing altogether). Not surprisingly, goodness of fit was better for the study that reported its input data with more transparency. To improve the transparency in diabetes modeling, the Diabetes Modeling Input Checklist listing the minimal input data required for reproducibility in most diabetes modeling applications was developed. Conclusions: Transparency of diabetes model inputs is important to the reproducibility and credibility of simulation results. In the Eighth Mount Hood Challenge, the Diabetes Modeling Input Checklist was developed with the goal of improving the transparency of input data reporting and reproducibility of diabetes simulation model results.

status, frequency, urgency, and stress incontinence. RESULTSOf 2193 surveys dispatched, 609 (27.8%) were returned; of these patients, 52% had incontinence, of whom 83% had both frequency and urgency, and 60% stress incontinence. Patients with stress incontinence reported a mean ( SD ) EQ5D index of 0.578 (0.331), compared to 0.714 (0.281) for all other patients ( P < 0.001). From the SF36, respondents scored lowest in the role physical domain and highest in the mental domain, with mean scores of 33.8 and 72.1, respectively. Multivariate analysis of SF36 and EQ5D index scores, controlling for age, gender and body mass index, showed that incontinence was associated with a notable reduction in the EQ5D index and SF36 scores across all domains. CONCLUSIONThis study showed a significant reduction in quality of life for all patient groups with OAB; in particular, stress incontinence had the greatest impact. KEYWORDSincontinence, overactive bladder, quality of life, urinary problems, utility OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impact of the overactive bladder (OAB) on quality of life and healthrelated utility. PATIENTS AND METHODSIn a study conducted in Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, patients were identified from an academic urology unit inpatient database for admissions and sent a postal survey. The survey pack comprised questionnaires on demography, urological functioning, health utility (EQ5D index ), and health-related quality of life (Short Form-36, SF36). Respondents were classified according to general urinary

In summary, PP is a better predictor of CHD events than SBP in persons with type 2 diabetes, but the converse is true for CVD and PVD.

In addition to the clinical management of blood supplies, the UK National Blood Service (NBS) examines short-term supply and demand to predict any potential shortages in blood supplies. However, very little data are available on the medium- and long-term trends. This paper describes blood product use in a United Kingdom Hospital Trust in 1999 and combines it with donor information to project the effect of demographic changes on demand and supply over the next 25 years. Overall, 2801 (4%) inpatients received transfusions of blood products. The proportion of inpatients receiving blood products increased with age. Patients aged >70 years used 46% of the total blood product supply, whereas patients aged <30 years used 10%. The estimated total cost associated with blood product use was pound 2 million during 1999 (2001-2002 prices). The results show that within 20 years, demand for blood products is expected to increase by 20% relative to the supply. The estimates in this study are a valuable aid to better long-term planning of supplies. As there is a paucity of data concerning blood product use in UK hospitals and blood use varies greatly between hospitals, further studies are required to guide blood product use policy.