title: Methodological issues in cost-effectiveness studies: a brief overview.
abstract: This article discussed two methodological issues around cost-effectiveness studies, including validity and transferability of results. In an economic analysis study, methods to costing, health utility measurement, and economic modeling represent three important sources that may threaten the validity. Variations in health systems and clinical practice, and differential resource use and unit prices across regions and countries may have potentially large influence on transferability. The limitations of piggybacked design may also have implications for transferability. Caution is warranted in the design, conduct, and interpretation of cost-effectiveness studies regarding their validity and transferability.
authors.affiliation: Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. sunyzmy@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Youping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics; D006296:Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results