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Economic Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions: Methodological Issues and Recommendations for Practice

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  • Manuel Gomes

    (University College London)

  • Elizabeth Murray

    (University College London)

  • James Raftery

    (University of Southampton)

Abstract

Health care interventions are increasingly being delivered through digital technologies, offering major opportunities for delivering more health gains from scarce health care resources. Digital health interventions (DHIs) raise distinct challenges for economic evaluations compared with drugs and medical devices, not least due to their interacting, evolving features. The implications of the distinctive nature of DHIs for the methodological choices underpinning their economic evaluation is not well understood. This paper provides an in-depth discussion of distinct features of DHIs and how they might impact the design, measurement, analysis and reporting of cost-effectiveness analysis conducted alongside both randomised and non-randomised studies. These include aspects related to choice of comparator, costs and benefits assessment, study perspective and type of economic analysis. We argue that typical methodological standpoints, such as taking a health service perspective, focusing on health-related benefits and adopting cost-utility analyses, as typically adopted in the economic evaluation of non-digital technologies (pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices), are unlikely to be appropriate for DHIs. We illustrate how these methodological aspects can be appropriately addressed in an evaluation of a digitally supported, remote rehabilitation programme for patients with Long Covid in England. We highlight several methodological considerations for improving practice and areas where further methodological work is required.

Suggested Citation

  • Manuel Gomes & Elizabeth Murray & James Raftery, 2022. "Economic Evaluation of Digital Health Interventions: Methodological Issues and Recommendations for Practice," PharmacoEconomics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 367-378, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:pharme:v:40:y:2022:i:4:d:10.1007_s40273-022-01130-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s40273-022-01130-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Simon Walker & Susan Griffin & Miqdad Asaria & Aki Tsuchiya & Mark Sculpher, 2019. "Striving for a Societal Perspective: A Framework for Economic Evaluations When Costs and Effects Fall on Multiple Sectors and Decision Makers," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 17(5), pages 577-590, October.
    2. Dina Jankovic & Laura Bojke & David Marshall & Pedro Saramago Goncalves & Rachel Churchill & Hollie Melton & Sally Brabyn & Lina Gega, 2021. "Systematic Review and Critique of Methods for Economic Evaluation of Digital Mental Health Interventions," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 17-27, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tiyi Morris & Fiona Aspinal & Jean Ledger & Keyi Li & Manuel Gomes, 2023. "The Impact of Digital Health Interventions for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes on Health and Social Care Utilisation and Costs: A Systematic Review," PharmacoEconomics - Open, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 163-173, March.

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