Developing core economic parameter sets for asthma studies: a realist review and an analytical framework

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Pharmacoeconomics
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Economic evaluations are vital for assessing healthcare interventions in asthma.
• Standardized economic parameters are needed for consistent and comparable asthma study results.
• Previous research lacks a defined set of core economic parameters for asthma economic evaluations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a standardized core economic parameter set for economic evaluations in asthma studies.
• To identify and categorize key economic parameters used in asthma research.
• To provide a framework for selecting appropriate economic parameters in future asthma studies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review utilizing realist review methodology.
• Development of an analytical framework to guide the review process.
• Searches of multiple databases (PubMed, Cochrane, NHS EED, DARE, HTA) from 1990 onwards.

Main Results:

• 224 publications were included from 2531 identified.
• 65 economic parameters were identified and categorized into 11 groups.
• Parameters related to secondary care, primary care, medication, emergency care, and work productivity constituted 84% of all identified parameters.

Conclusions:

• Core economic parameters for asthma studies include secondary care, primary care, medication, emergency care, and work productivity.
• Supplemental parameters such as diagnostics, healthcare delivery, school activity, informal care, medical devices, and health utility are study-specific.
• The proposed core set enhances consistency and comparability in economic evaluations of asthma interventions.