title: Cost-Effectiveness of HBV and HCV Screening Strategies--A Systematic Review of Existing Modelling Techniques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies evaluating the cost-effectiveness of screening for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are generally heterogeneous in terms of risk groups, settings, screening intervention, outcomes and the economic modelling framework. It is therefore difficult to compare cost-effectiveness results between studies. This systematic review aims to summarise and critically assess existing economic models for HBV and HCV in order to identify the main methodological differences in modelling approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  A structured search strategy was developed and a systematic review carried out. A critical assessment of the decision-analytic models was carried out according to the guidelines and framework developed for assessment of decision-analytic models in Health Technology Assessment of health care interventions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall approach to analysing the cost-effectiveness of screening strategies was found to be broadly consistent for HBV and HCV. However, modelling parameters and related structure differed between models, producing different results. More recent publications performed better against a performance matrix, evaluating model components and methodology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When assessing screening strategies for HBV and HCV infection, the focus should be on more recent studies, which applied the latest treatment regimes, test methods and had better and more complete data on which to base their models. In addition to parameter selection and associated assumptions, careful consideration of dynamic versus static modelling is recommended. Future research may want to focus on these methodological issues. In addition, the ability to evaluate screening strategies for multiple infectious diseases, (HCV and HIV at the same time) might prove important for decision makers.
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Geue
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Yiqiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heggie
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.affiliation: Division of Global Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America.|School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Natasha K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: ICON Health Economics and Epidemiology, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fenwick
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Scotland, NHS Health Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D016174:Hepacivirus; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics*; D018803:Models, Economic