How to prepare a systematic review of economic evaluations for informing evidence-based healthcare decisions: a five-step approach (part 1/3).
Systematic reviews of economic evaluations are useful for synthesizing economic evidence about health interventions and for informing evidence-based decisions. Areas covered: As there is no detailed description of the methods for performing a systematic review of economic evidence, this paper aims to provide an overview of state-of-the-art methodology. This is laid out in a 5-step approach, as follows: step 1) initiating a systematic review; step 2) identifying (full) economic evaluations; step 3) data extraction, risk of bias and transferability assessment; step 4) reporting results; step 5) discussion and interpretation of findings. Expert commentary: The paper aims to help inexperienced reviewers and clinical practice guideline developers, but also to be a resource for experts in the field who want to check on current methodological developments.
a CAPHRI, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
Ghislaine A P G
GA
van Mastrigt
a CAPHRI, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
Mickaël
M
Hiligsmann
b Department of Orthopedics , Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
Jacobus J C
JJ
Arts
c Knowledge Institute of Medical Specialists , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
Pieter H
PH
Broos
d CAPHRI, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
Jos
J
Kleijnen
a CAPHRI, School for Public Health and Primary Care, Department of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.|e Trimbos Institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
Silvia M A A
SM
Evers
f Department of Research and Development , Epilepsy Centre Kempenhaeghe , Heeze , The Netherlands.|g Department of Neurology, Academic Centre for Epileptology , Maastricht University Medical Centre , Maastricht , The Netherlands.|h School of Mental Health and Neuroscience , Maastricht University Medical Center , Maastricht , The Netherlands.|i School of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands.
Marian H J M
MH
Majoie
D015982:Bias; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D012196:Review Literature as Topic
Methods; clinical practice guidelines; data extraction; databases; economic evaluations; guidance; quality appraisal; reporting and discussion; risk of bias; search strategies; systematic reviews