title: Quality assessment of economic evaluation studies in pediatric surgery: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess economic evaluation studies (EES) in pediatric surgery and to identify potential factors associated with high-quality studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review of the literature using PubMed and Cochrane databases was conducted to identify EES in pediatric surgery published between 1 June 1993 and 30 June 2013. Assessment criteria are derived from the Drummond checklist. A high quality study was defined as a Drummond score ≥7. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with high quality studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  119 studies were included. 43.7% (n=52) of studies were full EES. Cost-effectiveness analysis was the most frequent (61.5%) type of full EES. Only 31.6% of studies had a Drummond score ≥7 and 73% of these were full EES. The factors associated with high quality were identification of costs (OR: 14.08; 95% CI: 3.38-100; p<0.001), estimation of utility value (OR: 8.13; 95% CI: 2.02-43.47; p=0.005) and study funding (OR: 3.50; 95% CI: 1.27-10.10; p=0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review shows that the number and the quality of EES are low despite the increasing number of studies published in recent years. In the current context of budget constraints, our results should encourage pediatric surgeons to focus more on EES.
authors.affiliation: UMR-INSERM-1098, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Besançon University Hospital, 3 Boulevard Fleming, F-25000 Besancon, France. Electronic address: afotso@chu-besancon.fr.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fotso Kamdem
authors.affiliation: INSERM U645 EA-2284 IFR-133, Department of Pharmacy, Besançon University Hospital, 3 Boulevard Fleming, F-25000 Besancon, France. Electronic address: v1nerich@chu-besancon.fr.
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nerich
authors.affiliation: UMR-INSERM-1098, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Besançon University Hospital, 3 Boulevard Fleming, F-25000 Besancon, France. Electronic address: fauber@chu-besancon.fr.
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Auber
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Sainte-Justine University Hospital, 3175, Chemin de la Côte Sainte-Catherine, H3T 1C5, Montréal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: jantchou_prevost@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Prévost
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jantchou
authors.affiliation: EA3920, Department of Cardiology, Besançon University Hospital, 3 Boulevard Fleming, F-25000 Besançon, France. Electronic address: Fiona.Caulfield@wanadoo.fr.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ecarnot
authors.affiliation: UMR-INSERM-1098, Department of Clinical Research and Innovation, Besançon University Hospital, 2 place Saint Jacques, F-25000 Besançon, France. Electronic address: marie-christine.woronoff-lemsi@univ-fcomte.fr.
authors.forename: Marie-Christine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Woronoff-Lemsi
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000191:economics*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000191:economics*
keywords: Economic evaluation studies; Pediatric surgery; Systematic review