Costing program implementation using systematic reviews: interventions for the prevention of adolescent depression

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Evidence Synthesis
• Health Economics

Background:

• Systematic reviews are crucial for evidence-based decision-making in social and behavioral interventions.
• However, these reviews often omit resource use and cost data, hindering practical implementation.
• Limited resources and budgets necessitate cost-effectiveness considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and illustrate the use of an instrument for coding resource use and cost data within systematic reviews.
• To apply this instrument to an existing systematic review of adolescent depression prevention programs.
• To assess the reporting of resource use and cost data in published studies.

Main Methods:

• Development of a coding instrument for resource use and cost data.
• Application of the instrument to 46 studies from a systematic review on adolescent depression prevention.
• Analysis of the frequency and detail of reported resource use and cost information.

Main Results:

• Resource use and cost data were sparsely reported in included studies, particularly for comparison conditions.
• Reporting of key cost drivers was more frequent for treatment conditions.
• The developed instrument facilitated the extraction of available cost-related information.

Conclusions:

• Future studies informing decision-making should prioritize detailed reporting of program resource use and costs.
• The developed instrument can guide the collection of essential cost data for systematic reviews.
• Improved cost reporting will enhance the integration of economic evidence into systematic reviews for better policy and practice.