Reviews and Methods of Economic Evaluation Studies
With limited resources, decision-makers have to consider whether the evaluation is cost-effective. They have to establish the balance to select one choice over another. If they need more resources for a new intervention, then they will have to use them somewhere else within the health system. This may replace the other services. In addition to clinical effectiveness, the economic aspects can make reviews more useful to healthcare decision-makers.
In the healthcare system, economic evaluation has great power and value. Healthcare decisions are difficult and they require a mixture of countless data variables and sources. And also, the choices made have a very important effect. With the increasing demand and complexity of health decisions, make sure the high-quality, and recommendations of the experts in the field. In addition to this, they need to follow the guidelines.
The most latest research of economic evaluation studies has recommended policy interventions for childhood and teenage obesity. They have costs and effects that the healthcare system does not include. These costs and consequences for different sectors have some suggestions for applying the economic evaluation.
However, previous methodical reviews have provided a summary of cost-effectiveness, and a few have conducted a review of the methods applied. We took forward this comprehensive review of economic evaluations, evaluating the methods used, accessing the quality of economic evaluations, and summarizing the cost-effectiveness.
What is a comprehensive review of economic evaluation studies?
Before getting into the details of the blog, let’s understand what is a comprehensive review of economic evaluation studies to set the basic grounding and understanding of economic evaluation. An economic evaluation is a tool to evaluate comparative health interventions and resolve the issue of allocating resources efficiently.
It is widely accepted by the latest research of economic evaluation studies that economic evaluations are an important component of the decision-making process. Moreover, research known as an economic evaluation compares the costs and health effects of various technologies or interventions. The objective is to determine, quantify, and appraise the expense and effects of the alternative treatments under consideration.
Primary economic evaluations can be conducted as an integral part of a single clinical study, which is normally a trial. They can be based on data from multiple sources, including expert opinion, authors’ assumptions, or reviews of clinical effectiveness. In this way, they can use economic evaluations in both systematic reviews and economic evaluations. Both strategies may make use of modeling approaches.
Full economic evaluation takes into account both the effectiveness and cost data for two or more interventions. They can compare it within the analysis. It provides a framework for organizing specific decision-making issues. A partial economic evaluation doesn’t make any comparison. Rather, it describes a single intervention or service considering the cost and consequences.
What are the methods of economic evaluation?
There are four major different methods of economic evaluation. Each method has been defined on the basis of systematic identification and measured cost and consequences of the interventions.
- Cost-benefit analysis (CBA)
- Cost-effective analysis(CEA)
- Cost-utility analysis(CUA)
- Cost-minimization analysis(CMA)
1.Cost-benefit analysis(CBA)
- In this method of evaluation, we compare the cost of the interventions to the benefits resulting from the interventions.
- We measure these costs and benefits in terms of monetary units.
- The net benefit is measured as, benefit-costs=net benefit
- The intervention will be continued if the result is positive. It means that incurred cost is less than the benefits.
2. Cost-effective analysis(CEA)
- We measure the cost against the effectiveness of the intervention, in this method. Effectiveness is the final consequence.
- The consequences of comparing interventions may differ. Although, you can express the consequences in common natural units such as life years gained, saved years of life, etc. Or, as an improvement in the functional status such as units of cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.
- The limitation of this method is that it is challenging to compare the interventions with differing natural effects. For example, you can not compare the intervention focusing on life years saved with those focusing on improving physical functioning.
3. Cost-utility analysis(CUA)
- We measure the cost in this method of analysis against the utility related to health.
- Utility refers to the quality-adjusted life years (QALY), and disability-adjusted life years (DALY).
- When there are several objectives of the program or when the quality and quantity of life are important to know, we use this method.
- And also, use it to make policy-level decisions.
4. Cost-minimization analysis(CMA)
- In this method, we measure an identical outcome of two or more intervention costs. You have to choose the intervention with the lowest cost.
- Keep in mind that you have to conduct the intervention only when the results are the same for the comparing interventions.
Just like the types of evaluation, you can use several methods of economic evaluation. Therefore, the consistency of the methodology may differ. Methods used can be inappropriate and decisions taken about the appropriateness of the methods may affect the quality and validity of a review.
This is why the researcher must understand the basic concepts of methodology before undertaking a review of economic evaluation. You can deal with the challenging issues within a consultation with the health economist included in the review team.
Conducting a review of economic evaluation
A procedure should be developed for the review of economic evaluation to review the effectiveness. That procedure will be used to establish the method in advance being used throughout. It is suggested to discuss the procedure early with the health economist.
The review question
Possibly, an economic review may consider the questions related to the cost-effectiveness of the different interventions, populations, or outcomes. It may explore the impact of other factors on the cost-effectiveness of interventions like a change in patient obedience.
To capture all the relevant costs and consequences, the scope can be wider than that of the clinical effectiveness set. Take the example of adding the further treatments consumed to the economic evaluation. Working through the way of caring for the relevant interventions may help identify relevant costs and benefits, and formulate the review questions.
Inclusion criteria
Population, intervention, comparison, outcomes, and study (PICOS) form a structure to express the eligibility criteria in the methodical review. It may help in defining the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Keeping in mind some circumstances and particular review questions, the main consideration will be whether a full economic evaluation should be included or a partial economic evaluation. Such as, if the review question involves an increase in costs, a cost analysis will be relevant in this case.
On the other hand, if the review question is about the relative benefits, then the studies comparing these outcomes will be considered appropriate. Even if they are not full economic evaluations. We will take a methodical and clear approach for all reviews where there is the involvement of partial evaluations.
Moreover, a review may be limited to only those economic studies that integrated a high-quality source of clinical evidence from a methodical review or an RCT. Around the study type, other considerations may include whether to restrict the inclusion to economic evaluations from a societal point of view.
Possibly, the results may vary from those of key interest in clinical review. Such as quality-adjusted life years are can be related to economic evaluation more.
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