International journal of technology assessment in health care
-
Int J Technol Assess Health Care · Jan 2008
Key principles for the improved conduct of health technology assessments for resource allocation decisions.
Health technology assessment (HTA) is a dynamic, rapidly evolving process, embracing different types of assessments that inform real-world decisions about the value (i.e., benefits, risks, and costs) of new and existing technologies. Historically, most HTA agencies have focused on producing high quality assessment reports that can be used by a range of decision makers. However, increasingly organizations are undertaking or commissioning HTAs to inform a particular resource allocation decision, such as listing a drug on a national or local formulary, defining the range of coverage under insurance plans, or issuing mandatory guidance on the use of health technologies in a particular healthcare system. ⋯ In these HTAs, the consideration of both costs and benefits, in an economic evaluation, is critical. It is also important to consider the link between the HTA and the decision that will follow. The principles are organized into four sections: (i) "Structure" of HTA programs; (ii) "Methods" of HTA; (iii) "Processes for Conduct" of HTA; and (iv) "Use of HTAs in Decision Making."
-
Int J Technol Assess Health Care · Jan 2008
Increasing decision-makers' access to economic evaluations: alternative methods of communicating the information.
Although the importance of economic evaluations is recognized, research suggests the ways in which studies are summarized may not be optimal for a busy decision maker with little training in economics methodology. Therefore, the objective of this study was to seek decision makers' views on different summary formats, including a score, short summary, and structured abstracts of different degrees of detail. ⋯ Decision makers require both an initial screen of study content, plus more detail should they find the study relevant or interesting.
-
Int J Technol Assess Health Care · Jan 2007
Comparative StudyComparing the clinical and economic effects of clinical examination, pulse oximetry, and echocardiography in newborn screening for congenital heart defects: a probabilistic cost-effectiveness model and value of information analysis.
Congenital heart defects (CHD) are an important cause of death and morbidity in early childhood, but the effectiveness of alternative newborn screening strategies in preventing the collapse or death--before diagnosis--of infants with treatable but life-threatening defects is uncertain. We assessed their effectiveness and efficiency to inform policy and research priorities. ⋯ Adding pulse oximetry to clinical examination is likely to be a cost-effective newborn screening strategy for CHD, but further research is required before this policy can be recommended. Screening echocardiography is unlikely to be cost-effective, unless the detection of all clinically significant CHD is considered beneficial and a 5 percent false-positive rate acceptable.
-
Int J Technol Assess Health Care · Jan 2007
ReviewEconomic evaluation of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer.
The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of laparoscopic surgery compared with open surgery for the treatment of colorectal cancer. ⋯ Laparoscopic surgery is likely to be associated with short-term quality of life benefits, similar long-term outcomes, and an additional pounds 300 per patient. A judgment is required as to whether the short-term benefits are worth this extra cost.
-
Int J Technol Assess Health Care · Jan 2007
Comparative StudyCost-effectiveness of an education and activation program for patients with acute and subacute shoulder complaints compared to usual care.
Shoulder complaints (SCs) constitute the second largest group of musculoskeletal disorders after low back pain. The economic burden in terms of costs of healthcare use and costs due to work absenteeism underlines the need for a cost-effectiveness analysis of the interventions involved. The education and activation program (EAP) is a newly developed early intervention to prevent the development of chronic SCs. A cost-effectiveness analysis should provide more information on the effect of an EAP on total costs related to SCs. ⋯ In view of the clinical relevance of the clinical outcomes and the considerable costs needed to achieve this, it can be concluded that the EAP is currently not cost-effective.