BMJ  2006;332 (25 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7543.0-d

Cost effectiveness studies show publication bias

Most published cost effectiveness analyses report favourable cost effectiveness ratios below the thresholds set for good value. Bell and colleagues (p 699) carried out a systematic review of 494 studies measuring health effects in quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and found that two thirds of published cost effectiveness ratios were below the threshold of $50 000/QALY and only 21% were above $100 000/QALY. Published cost effectiveness analyses are of limited use in identifying health interventions that do not meet popular standards of "cost effectiveness," say the authors.

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Relevant Article

Bias in published cost effectiveness studies: systematic review

Chaim M Bell, David R Urbach, Joel G Ray, Ahmed Bayoumi, Allison B Rosen, Dan Greenberg, and Peter J Neumann
BMJ 2006 332: 699-703. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]