It is increasingly accepted that provision of evidence on cost-effectiveness can significantly enhance the usefulness and relevance of systematic reviews of effectiveness as a component of the basis for healthcare decision making. This is reflected in the increasing use of economic analyses alongside systematic review methods to inform policy decisions falling under the auspices of organisations with national responsibilities for health technology assessment and guidance on the prevention and treatment of ill health (e.g. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee). Successive plenary sessions at the XIII Cochrane Colloquium have also continued to highlight the need for such evidence in the context of discussion on improving the relevance and usefulness of Cochrane reviews for end-users. Although Cochrane reviews are not currently required to include an economics component, many do incorporate economic analyses or, more frequently, reviews of economics studies and there is recent evidence to suggest that interest in the use of health economics methods is on the increase amongst editorial teams and review authors. The Campbell and Cochrane Economics Methods Group (CCEMG) aims to develop appropriate, relevant and unbiased methods and guidance for the conduct and reporting of economic evaluation alongside systematic reviews. This includes provision of training support, peer review and advice for Cochrane authors, review group co-ordinators, editorial teams, trials search co-ordinators and others.

This poster will describe the work of CCEMG, including details of our current research and the forthcoming chapter on economics methods in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. It will also provide information on how to access the materials and resources that are available via the Economics Methods Group to support the work of the Collaboration.