Scoping review of economic evaluations of assistive technology globally

Introduction: Stakeholders are increasingly interested in the societal impact of psychosocial interventions in the youth sector, in terms of costs and quality of life, as well as in outcomes research. The aim of this broad consultation was to reach consensus regarding the steps to be undertaken to set a research agenda for the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) programme. Methods: The broad consultation consisted of an eight-step procedure, including the conceptualization of a consultation document consisting of a scoping review of (mainly) international opinion/methodological literature and an inventory of existing Dutch guidelines and manuals for economic evaluation, a written consultation procedure among a broad range of stakeholders, and a consultation meeting with these stakeholders. Results: In total 21 documents were included in the scoping review. A total of 24 stakeholders participated in the written consultation procedure and 14 stakeholders during the consultation meeting. The methodological issues and challenges, which were ranked in the top 5 by the stakeholders, are (i) outcome measurement, (ii) outcome identification, (iii) cost valuation, (iv) outcome valuation, and (v) time horizon/analytical approach. The existing guidelines and manuals provided guidance for some, but not all, issues and challenges. Discussion and Conclusion: This broad consultation has contributed to a research agenda for the ZonMw programme, which will in the long run lead to the standardization of economic evaluations in this sector in the Netherlands and methodological improvement of economic evaluations in the Dutch youth sector.

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Accounting for Intergenerational Cascade Testing in Economic Evaluations of Clinical Genomics—A Scoping Review

Value in Health ◽

10.1016/j.jval.2021.11.1353 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jason Zischke ◽

Nicole White ◽

Louisa Gordon

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Economic Evaluations ◽

Clinical Genomics ◽

Cascade Testing

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Assistive technology accommodations for post-secondary students with mental health disabilities: a scoping review

Disability and Rehabilitation Assistive Technology ◽

10.1080/17483107.2020.1815087 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Sarah Ko ◽

Linda S. Petty

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Assistive Technology ◽

Secondary Students ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Post Secondary ◽

Post Secondary Students

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The Methodological Quality and Challenges in Conducting Economic Evaluations of Newborn Screening: A Scoping Review

International Journal of Neonatal Screening ◽

10.3390/ijns6040094 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 94

Author(s):

Pasquale Cacciatore ◽

Laurenske A. Visser ◽

Nasuh Buyukkaramikli ◽

Catharina P. B. van der Ploeg ◽

M. Elske van den Akker-van Marle

Keyword(s):

Resource Allocation ◽

Cost Effectiveness ◽

Newborn Screening ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Methodological Quality ◽

Economic Evaluations ◽

Screening Programs ◽

Methodological Challenges ◽

Life Years

Cost-effectiveness (CEA) and cost–utility analyses (CUA) have become popular types of economic evaluations (EE) used for evidence-based decision-making in healthcare resource allocation. Newborn screening programs (NBS) can have significant clinical benefits for society, and cost-effectiveness analysis may help to select the optimal strategy among different screening programs, including the no-screening option, on different conditions. These economic analyses of NBS, however, are hindered by several methodological challenges. This study explored the methodological quality in recent NBS economic evaluations and analyzed the main challenges and strategies adopted by researchers to deal with them. A scoping review was conducted according to PRISMA methodology to identify CEAs and CUAs of NBS. The methodological quality of the retrieved studies was assessed quantitatively using a specific guideline for the quality assessment of NBS economic evaluations, by calculating a general score for each EE. Challenges in the studies were then explored using thematic analysis as a qualitative synthesis approach. Thirty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. The quantitative analysis showed that the methodological quality of NBS economic evaluations was heterogeneous. Lack of clear description of items related to results, discussion, and discounting were the most frequent flaws. Methodological challenges in performing EEs of neonatal screenings include the adoption of a long time horizon, the use of quality-adjusted life years as health outcome measure, and the assessment of costs beyond the screening interventions. The results of this review can support future economic evaluation research, aiding researchers to develop a methodological guidance to perform EEs aimed at producing solid results to inform decisions for resource allocation in neonatal screening.

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