Expert consensus-building for developing guidelines: lessons learned from a dengue economics workshop

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Dengue poses a significant global health and economic burden.
• Standardized methodologies for assessing the economic cost of dengue are lacking.
• Previous cost assessments may suffer from bias and lack of integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss and develop a standardized methodology for assessing the economic cost of dengue.
• To identify factors contributing to the success of expert workshops for methodology development.
• To address challenges and suggest improvements for future collaborative efforts.

Main Methods:

• Convened a two-and-a-half-day workshop in March 2012.
• Included 20 experts from diverse backgrounds across five countries in the Americas.
• Facilitated guided small- and large-group discussions.
• Employed strategies to foster cross-cultural collaboration, trust, and communication.

Main Results:

• Identified key factors contributing to workshop success: early expert engagement, multidisciplinary approach, structured discussions, and clear responsibilities.
• Highlighted the importance of breaking down complex issues and providing pre-workshop materials.
• Acknowledged challenges and areas for future improvement in methodology development.

Conclusions:

• Successful development of standardized health economic methodologies relies on careful planning and execution of expert workshops.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration and effective communication are crucial for robust and comprehensive assessments.
• The described factors provide a framework for optimizing future international expert collaborations in public health research.