A recent study focuses on the update of the last published systematic review of model-based economic evaluations of interventions for dementia. This includes Alzheimer’s disease and examines any methodological improvements and quality assessment of such studies. The rise in model-based economic evaluations of interventions for dementia has been noted, with previous reviews pointing out weaknesses such as the lack of justification for model assumptions and data inputs.
The comprehensive research involved systematic searches in eight databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EconLit, the international HTA database, and the Tufts Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry. The searches spanned from February 2018 to August 2022. The Philips checklist and the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) 2022 checklist were used to assess the quality of the included studies. A narrative analysis was used to summarize the findings.
Critical Insights into the Economic Evaluations of Dementia Interventions
The review incorporated 23 studies, which covered cost-utility analyses, cost-benefit analyses, and cost-effectiveness analyses. Various interventions were examined, including pharmacological, non-pharmacological, prevention, diagnostic, and integrated strategies. Markov transition models were the most commonly used, followed by decision trees and discrete-event simulation. It was reported that several interventions from all categories were cost-effective.
Despite these findings, it was noted that the quality of reporting was suboptimal for the Methods and Results sections in almost all studies. However, most of the studies adequately addressed the decision problem, scope, and model-type selection in their economic evaluations. In terms of methodology quality, only a few studies addressed competing theories or clearly explained the rationale for model structure. Additionally, a minority of studies systematically identified key parameters or assessed data quality, and uncertainty was mostly addressed partially.
The review will inform future research and resource allocation by providing insights into model-based economic evaluations for dementia interventions. It also highlights areas for improvement in the methodology and reporting of these studies.
Original article: Model-Based Economic Evaluations of Interventions for Dementia: An Updated Systematic Review and Quality Assessment. Appl Health Econ Health Policy. 2024 Mar 30. doi: 10.1007/s40258-024-00878-0. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38554246.
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