A methodological analysis of the plastic surgery cost-utility literature using established guidelines

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Health Economics
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Cost-utility studies are valuable for assessing procedure value by considering quality of life improvements.
• These studies are underrepresented in plastic surgery literature.
• This study aimed to evaluate the quality of existing plastic surgery cost-utility studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the design quality of plastic surgery cost-utility literature.
• To identify areas for improvement in future cost-utility studies within plastic surgery.

Main Methods:

• A scoring tool was developed based on established cost-effectiveness recommendations.
• A systematic PubMed search identified relevant English-language plastic surgery utility studies up to October 2012.
• Selected articles were evaluated using the created scoring tool.

Main Results:

• 37 studies were analyzed using a 9-point scoring tool, with an average score of 3/9.
• While 81% used population preferences for utility, only 41% measured costs, and few included indirect costs (11%) or discount rates (14%).
• Significant inconsistencies were found in applying cost-utility guidelines, with 8% scoring zero.

Conclusions:

• Plastic surgery cost-utility analyses hold significant potential for evaluating procedure value.
• Current studies exhibit inconsistencies in adhering to established guidelines, especially regarding cost measurement and sensitivity analysis.
• Adopting a standardized scoring tool can guide future research toward necessary improvements in quality and consistency.