As with clinical studies, health economic studies vary in scope and quality. Their usefulness for decision and policy making is linked to their methodological rigor, accuracy, and generalizability. Thus, critical appraisal is important to put the results in the context of study quality. Economic evaluations identify and compare appropriate alternatives of care, their incremental impact on healt...

Health economic evaluation comprises the systematic appraisal of the costs, the benefits and the relative economic efficiency of different medical interventions. The first section of this paper outlines the techniques of economic analysis and how they relate to the efficient use of health resources. This is followed by a review of the health economics of rheumatoid arthritis as a model for the ...

The National Health Service, yet again, is being cajoled and coerced into being more efficient. Many in the NHS resent this, perhaps understandably given the way in which the concept of efficiency has been devalued by this government. It is, however, an unfortunate reaction because efficiency is not something to be despised or feared. Despite the cajoling, little seems to change. The Royal Comm...

Oakdene Hollins provides clients with these services: ● Modelling and impact assessment ● Programme management and evaluation ● Project management ● Ecolabelling advice ● Carbon footprinting ● Critical review of life cycle assessment ● Policy and strategy development ● Lean manufacturing ● Economic analysis ● Market appraisal.

Performance appraisal research over the last 10 years has begun to examine the effects of the social context on the appraisal process. Drawing from previous theoretical work, we developed a model of this process and conducted a systematic review of the relevant research. This review of over 300 articles suggests that as a field we have become much more cognizant of the importance of the social ...

BACKGROUND Health technology assessments (HTAs) by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) enjoy high levels of international attention. The present analysis addresses NICE's appraisal of methylphenidate, atomoxetine and dexamphetamine for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents, published in March 2006. METHODS A qualitative study ...