22 October 2018 - When making decisions in health care, it is essential to consider economic evidence about an intervention. 

The objective of this study was to analyse the methods applied for systematic reviews of health economic evaluations in HTA and to identify common challenges.

Eighty-three reports were included in the analysis. We identified inexplicable heterogeneity, particularly concerning literature search strategy, data extraction, assessment of quality, and applicability. Furthermore, process steps were often missing or reported in a nontransparent way. The use of a standardised data extraction form was indicated in one-third of reports (32%). Fifty-four percent of authors systematically appraised included studies. In 10% of reports, the applicability of included studies was assessed. Involvement of two reviewers was rarely reported for the study selection (43%), data extraction (28%), and quality assessment (39%).

Read International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care article