Abstract
IntroductionThe application of health economic evaluation (HEE) evidence can play an important role in strategic planning and policy making. This study aimed to assess the scope and quality of existing research, with the goal of elucidating implications for improving the use of HEE evidence in Vietnam.MethodsA comprehensive search strategy was developed to search medical online databases (Medline, Google Scholar, and Vietnam Medical Databases) to select all types of HEE studies except cost-only analyses. Two researchers assessed the quality of selected studies using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument.ResultsWe selected 26 studies, including 6 published in Vietnam. The majority of these studies focused on infectious diseases (14 studies), with HIV being the most common topic (5 studies). Most papers were cost-effectiveness studies that measured health outcomes using DALY units. Using QHES, we found that the overall quality of HEE studies published internationally was much higher (mean score 88.7+13.3) than that of those published in Vietnam (mean score 67.3+22.9). Lack of costing perspectives, reliable data sources and sensitivity analysis were the main shortcomings of the reviewed studies.ConclusionThis review indicates that HEE studies published in Vietnam are limited in scope and number, as well as by several important technical errors or omissions. It is necessary to formalize the process of health economic research in Vietnam and to institutionalize the links between researchers and policy-makers. Additionally, the quality of HEE should be enhanced through education about research techniques, and the implementation of standard HEE guidelines.
Highlights
The application of health economic evaluation (HEE) evidence can play an important role in strategic planning and policy making
Health economic research has been increasingly utilized over the past few decades, in developed countries, in order to improve the efficiency of healthcare spending
Most articles excluded from this review were either not health economic evaluations or did not use data from Vietnam. (See Table S1 for profile of selected studies)
Summary
The application of health economic evaluation (HEE) evidence can play an important role in strategic planning and policy making. Health economic research has been increasingly utilized over the past few decades, in developed countries, in order to improve the efficiency of healthcare spending. Vietnam is a country that has yet to formalize a health economic evaluation system, its healthcare system faces rising costs and dwindling resources. While healthcare spending has been supplemented by foreign aid, this funding is starting to decrease, as Vietnam has just reached the lower middle-income level. It is, very necessary for the health sector to implement effective measures toward a sustainable and highly efficient health care system
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