Background: Cochrane Reviews assemble, critique and combine trustworthy data from multiple research studies on the effectiveness and other aspects of health care interventions. They can provide robust evidence on intervention effectiveness, which may be more likely to convince decision-makers than evidence from single studies. However, in many circumstances decision-makers need to consider not only whether an intervention works, but whether its adoption will lead to a more efficient use of resources. Provision of evidence on economic aspects of interventions can therefore enhance the usefulness and applicability of Cochrane Reviews for health care decision-making.
Objectives: To explore and describe patterns of coverage of economics aspects of interventions in Cochrane Reviews, in order to inform further development of evidence-based guidance on methods for incorporating economics evidence into Cochrane Reviews.
Methods: The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was searched to identify published reviews and protocols containing economics reference terms (The Cochrane Library, Issue 4 2006). A researcher used a predefined protocol to extract data which describe the economics components of included reviews and protocols. Extracted data were analysed using SPSS version 14.0.2 and the results were tabulated. Results were summarised using a narrative synthesis.
Results: Five hundred and fifty-six records out of 4410 records held in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews contained economics reference terms. Thirteen records were excluded since the corresponding review had been withdrawn. Four hundred and seventy records contained a published Cochrane Review. Seventy-three records contained a published protocol for a Cochrane Review. Many Cochrane Reviews include some coverage of economics aspects of interventions. Methods underpinning economics components of reviews vary considerably and the intended scope of analytic approaches to incorporating economics evidence is often unclear.
Conclusions: This review study highlights a need for further guidance on the conduct and reporting of economics components of Cochrane Reviews and close collaboration between authors and economists, to facilitate use of reviews in formal economic analyses. Coverage of economics aspects of interventions in Cochrane Reviews can help provide the international context within which economics data can be interpreted and assessed as a preliminary to full economic evaluation.