Model Structuring for Economic Evaluations of New Health Technologies

Area of Science:

• Health economics
• Decision analysis
• Health technology assessment

Background:

• Decision analytic models are crucial for funding new health technologies in Australia, the UK, and Canada.
• Existing guidelines lack clarity on defining structural aspects, developing model structure, and addressing structural uncertainty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define key structural aspects and processes in decision analytic model development.
• To provide recommendations for future model structuring in health technology assessment.
• To enhance transparency, comprehensiveness, and consistency in national funding body guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing reports on good modeling practice.
• Specification of key structural choices in decision analytic models.
• Development of recommendations for future model structuring.

Main Results:

• Identified a lack of clarity in current guidelines regarding model structure definition and development.
• Proposed a framework for specifying key structural choices and addressing structural uncertainty.
• Highlighted the importance of conceptual models in the decision-making process.

Conclusions:

• Standardizing guidelines for model structuring can improve transparency and consistency.
• Systematic documentation of model structuring and sensitivity analysis is recommended for submissions.
• Clearer structural definitions and documentation aid national funding bodies in maximizing value for money.