Making economic evaluations respectable

Area of Science:

• Health economics
• Health policy analysis
• Clinical practice evaluation

Background:

• Global policymakers aim to control health care spending and improve value.
• Economic evaluation of clinical practice is crucial but underused.
• Methodological advancements exist, but adoption is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers to the widespread use of economic evaluations in health policy.
• To propose solutions for increasing the adoption and credibility of these analyses.
• To address concerns regarding potential bias in economic evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of barriers to economic evaluation adoption.
• Proposal for enhanced auditing practices for economic evaluations.
• Discussion of extending audit scope beyond methodology to include data.

Main Results:

• Conceptual and practical complexities are not the sole barriers.
• Public suspicion of hidden bias in economic evaluations is a significant barrier.
• Current peer review practices are insufficient for ensuring transparency.

Conclusions:

• Rigorous, data-level audits, similar to financial accounting, are needed.
• Implementing a robust audit infrastructure can overcome trust barriers.
• Enhanced auditing will increase the utility of economic evaluations in health policy.