Evidence-based recommendations for economic evaluations in spine surgery: study protocol for a Delphi consensus

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Spine Surgery Research
• Methodological Quality

Background:

• Rising global healthcare expenses necessitate robust economic evaluations.
• Current economic evaluations in spine surgery suffer from low quality due to methodological heterogeneity.
• Existing general guidelines lack disease-specific recommendations for spine surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate expert-based recommendations for the design, conduct, and reporting of economic evaluations in spine surgery.
• To enhance the quality, comparability, and interpretability of economic research in this field.
• To complement existing general guidelines with spine surgery-specific guidance.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi study involving a systematic literature review and expert consensus.
• Formation of an expert group and Delphi panel for statement validation.
• Statements require >75% agreement for acceptance as consensus recommendations.

Main Results:

• The study aims to establish consensus statements through iterative validation by experts and a Delphi panel.
• The process will identify and refine recommendations for economic evaluations in spine surgery.
• The final output will be a set of expert-based recommendations.

Conclusions:

• Standardized economic evaluation methods in spine surgery will improve research quality and comparability.
• These recommendations will provide a solid basis for determining cost-effectiveness in spine surgery.
• The ultimate aim is to support efforts in limiting rising healthcare costs.