Reference no: EM133170308

Assessment - Economic Evaluation and Critique

Applied Economic Evaluation in Healthcare

Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to assess and evaluate knowledge and application of the key steps in an economic evaluation framework.

Task
Review and critically evaluate an economic evaluation conducted alongside a trial by answering a series of questions.

Description
Review the following paper on thecost utility of chemotherapy in patients with nonprogressive metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(also available as a PDF in the assignments section):

Part 1
Critically evaluate the economic analysis by addressing each of the following questions with justifications for your answers (a simply yes/no is not sufficient):
• What perspective(s) is/are adopted? Is this appropriate? Are any relevant perspectives not included?
• What intervention alternatives are compared? Is this appropriate? Are any relevant alternatives not included?
• Which costs are included? Is this appropriate? Are any relevant costs not included? Are the costs measured and valued appropriately?
• What evidence is the effectiveness based on? What was the primary outcome of the clinical study? How does this compare with the outcome used in the economic evaluation?
• The economic evaluation is a cost-utility analysis. Is a cost-utility analysis the appropriate type of economic evaluation? How were utilities derived? Is this appropriate?
• What is the time horizon of the study? Is this appropriate? Was discounting applied to costs and benefits? Is this appropriate?
• What are the results of the economic evaluation?
• How is uncertainty dealt with in the economic evaluation? Is this appropriate. Are any relevant analyses not included?
• Do the authors discuss the generalisability of the results, compare the current economic evaluation with previous similar analyses, discuss the limitations of the economic evaluation and make sensible conclusions?
• Do you find the economic evaluation useful? Is it a well-conducted and well-reported analysis? Do you have any concerns about the economic evaluation?

Part 2

Identify and discuss at least 2 factors that may influence treatment decision making for the patient and/or clinician and/or healthcare system, including at least two perspectives (patient, clinician, system). Explain how/why these factors are important and justify whether they should or should not have been included in the paper.

Article - Cost-Utility Analysis of Continuation Versus Discontinuation of First-Line Chemotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Squamous-Cell Esophageal Cancer: Economic Evaluation Alongside the E-DIS Trial