Islam Eljilany1, Faris El-Dahiyat2, Louise Elizabeth Curley3, Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar3,4. 1. a Independent Researcher , Pharmacoeconomics Expert , Qatar. 2. b College of Pharmacy , Al Ain University of Science and Technology , Al Ain , United Arab Emirates. 3. c School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand. 4. d Department of Pharmacy , University of Huddersfield , Huddersfield , United Kingdom.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The importance of pharmacoeconomics and health economics has been augmented. It has the potential to provide evidence to aid in optimal decision-making in the funding of cost-effective medicines and services in Gulf Cooperation Council countries (G.C.C). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality and quantity of health economic researches published until the end of 2017 in G.C.C. and to identify the factors that affect the quality of studies. METHOD: Studies were included according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quantity was recorded, and the quality was assessed using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument. RESULTS: Forty-nine studies were included. The mean (SD) quality score of all studies was 57.83 (25.05), and a high number of reviewed studies (47%) were evaluated as either poor or extremely poor quality. The factors that affect the quality of studies with statistical significance were, the type and method of economic evaluation, the economic outcome was the objective of the research, author`s background, the perspective of the study, health intervention and source of funding. CONCLUSION: The use of economic evaluation studies in G.C.C was limited. Different factors that affect the quality of articles such as performing a full economic evaluation and choosing societal perspective were identified. Strategies to improve the quality of future studies were recommended.
BACKGROUND: The importance of pharmacoeconomics and health economics has been augmented. It has the potential to provide evidence to aid in optimal decision-making in the funding of cost-effective medicines and services in Gulf Cooperation Council countries (G.C.C). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality and quantity of health economic researches published until the end of 2017 in G.C.C. and to identify the factors that affect the quality of studies. METHOD: Studies were included according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quantity was recorded, and the quality was assessed using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument. RESULTS: Forty-nine studies were included. The mean (SD) quality score of all studies was 57.83 (25.05), and a high number of reviewed studies (47%) were evaluated as either poor or extremely poor quality. The factors that affect the quality of studies with statistical significance were, the type and method of economic evaluation, the economic outcome was the objective of the research, author`s background, the perspective of the study, health intervention and source of funding. CONCLUSION: The use of economic evaluation studies in G.C.C was limited. Different factors that affect the quality of articles such as performing a full economic evaluation and choosing societal perspective were identified. Strategies to improve the quality of future studies were recommended.
Keywords:
Gulf Cooperation Council; Pharmacoeconomics; QHES; health economics; quality; quality of literature
Authors: Abdulaziz Ibrahim Alzarea; Yusra Habib Khan; Abdullah Salah Alanazi; Muhammad Hammad Butt; Ziyad Saeed Almalki; Abdullah K AlAhmari; Saud Alsahali; Tauqeer Hussain Mallhi Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-06-27 Impact factor: 4.614