RSS Feeds
Economic Analysis of Health Care Technology: A Report on Principles
- Task Force on Principles for Economic Analysis of Health Care Technology*
- Requests for Reprints: Alan L. Hillman, MD, MBA, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Center for Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania, 3641 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6218. Disclaimer: Some of the views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of all individual members of the Task Force or their affiliated organizations. Individual members did not officially represent the affiliated organizations. Disclosure: The public announcement (at the time of a presentation or publication) of the evaluation and interpretation of the results of a study. Disclosure includes discussion of sources of possible bias, potential conflict of interest, relevant constraints imposed on investigators in their conduct or reporting of the study, the nature and amount of support received by the investigators, and other pertinent information necessary for full evaluation of the report.
Preamble
Although economic outcomes research is an evolving field in health services research, there are correct and incorrect ways to conduct and report on economic outcomes studies. Research practices that help to minimize real or perceived bias will increase the quality and usefulness of such studies for those who sponsor, publish, and use them. Because of public concerns about the potential for bias in the design, analysis, and reporting of economic analyses of health care technology, we formed a task force to develop principles to enhance the credibility of these studies. The Task Force on Principles for Economic Analysis of Health Care Technology included participants from academia, the pharmaceutical industry, the public sector, and private research organizations.
As health care resources become increasingly constrained, the information used to make resource allocation decisions must be as reliable, valid, and free of bias as possible. “Getting it right” at the level at which economic results are produced will help to protect consumers and will advance the health of the public.
Bias stems from two broad categories: lack of appropriate independence for researchers and lack of consensus about methods. We focused heavily on the first of these categories for two major reasons. First, few have yet considered the unique issues of researcher independence in economic outcomes research [1, 2]. Second, other investigators have begun to consider and define proper methods for economic outcomes work (an area of considerable controversy) [3-5]. We also looked closely at the requirements for the reporting of economic analyses, which are intended to ensure methodologic transparency and accountability.
The Need for Voluntary Guidelines
Widespread use of economic analysis as part of the development of pharmaceutical, biotechnologic, and medical devices is relatively new. To date, many economic analyses of health care have focused on pharmaceutical agents, and many such studies have been funded by …
