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Considerations and Preliminary Proposals for Defining a Reference Case for Economic Evaluations in Ankylosing Spondylitis
NICK BANSBACK, ANDREAS MAETZEL, MIKE DRUMMOND, ASLAM ANIS, CARLO MARRA, PETER CONWAY, MAARTEN BOERS, PETER TUGWELL, and ANNELIES BOONEN ABSTRACT. Since healthcare resources are scarce, choices have to be made on how they will be allocated. The use of economic evaluations using cost-effectiveness analyses has increased rapidly as policymakers have realized their value in maximizing the population's benefits (in terms of length of life and health status) within a given budget. Following efforts by OMERACT to create reference case definitions for the conduct of economic evaluation in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis, we review various methodological areas and research decisions that could benefit from a consensus between researchers, clinicians, and drug developers in terms of an ankylosing spondylitis (AS) reference case. Ten methodological issues are presented that will be important for future development of evaluations. Tentative proposals to define the issues in a reference case for AS are made, along with recommendations for further research. (J Rheumatol 2007;34:1178–83) Key Indexing Terms:
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS From the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Amgen Europe GmbH, Lucerne, Switzerland; Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York, UK; Arthritis Research Centre of Canada and Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Taplow, Maidenhead, UK; Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; and Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Supported by the OMERACT 8 Special Interest Group. N.J. Bansback is the recipient of an OMERACT fellowship. N.J. Bansback, MSc, Health Economist, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver; A. Maetzel, PhD, Amgen Europe GmbH and the University of Toronto; M. Drummond, PhD, Professor of Health Economics, Centre for Health Economics, University of York; A.H. Anis, PhD, Professor and Director, Master of Health Administration, Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Health Economist, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences; C.A. Marra, PharmD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia; P. Conway, MSc, Director, Market Access and Reimbursement, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals; M. Boers, PhD, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center; P. Tugwell, MD, Chair, Centre for Global Health, Institute of Population Health, Ottawa; A. Boonen, PhD, Rheumatologist, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Maastricht. Address reprint requests to A. Boonen, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University Hospital Maastricht, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands. E-mail: aboo@sint.azm.nl
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