Table 2 Reporting standards for modelling studies [19]
From: What do we know about managing Dupuytren’s disease cost-effectively?
Quality criteria | Question(s) for critical appraisal | Yes | No | YES/NO | ? | Not applicable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Structure (S) | ||||||
S1 | Is there a clear statement of the decision problem? | 4 | ||||
Is the objective of the evaluation and model specified and consistent with the stated decision problem? | 4 | |||||
Is the primary decision maker specified? | 4 | |||||
S2 | Is the perspective of the model stated clearly? | 4 | ||||
Are the model inputs consistent with the stated perspective? | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
Has the scope of the model been stated and justified? | 2 | 2 | ||||
Are the outcomes of the model consistent with the perspective, scope and overall objective of the model? | 3 | 1 | ||||
S3 | Has the evidence regarding the model structure been described? Is the structure of the model consistent with a coherent theory of the health condition under evaluation? | 4 | ||||
Are the sources of data used to develop the structure of the model specified? | 4 | |||||
Are the causal relationships described by the model structure justified appropriately? | 4 | |||||
S4 | Are the structural assumptions transparent and justified? | 3 | 1 | |||
Are the structural assumptions reasonable given the overall objective, perspective and scope of the model? | 4 | |||||
S5 | Is there a clear definition of the options under evaluation? | 4 | ||||
Have all feasible and practical options been evaluated? | 4 | |||||
Is there justification for the exclusion of feasible options? | 4 | |||||
S6 | Is the chosen model type appropriate given the decision problem and specified causal relationships within the model? | 3 | 1 | |||
S7 | Is the time horizon of the model sufficient to reflect all important differences between options? | 3 | 1 | |||
Is the time horizon of the model, the duration of treatment and the duration of treatment effect described and justified? | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
S8 | Do the disease states (state transition model) or the pathways (decision tree model) reflect the underlying biological process of the disease in question and the impact of interventions? | 4 | ||||
S9 | Is the cycle length defined and justified in terms of the natural history of disease? | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
DATA (D) | ||||||
D1 | Are the data identification methods transparent and appropriate given the objectives of the model? | 4 | ||||
Where choices have been made between data sources, are these justified appropriately? | 3 | 1 | ||||
Has particular attention been paid to identifying data for the important parameters in the model? | 4 | |||||
Has the process of selecting key parameters been justified and systematic methods used to identify the most appropriate data? | 3 | 1 | ||||
Has the quality of the data been assessed appropriately? | 4 | |||||
Where expert opinion has been used, are the methods described and justified? | 1 | 3 | ||||
D2 | Is the pre-model data analysis methodology based on justifiable statistical and epidemiological techniques? | 3 | 1 | |||
D2a | Is the choice of baseline data described and justified? | 2 | 2 | |||
Are transition probabilities calculated appropriately? | 2 | 2 | ||||
Has a half cycle correction been applied to both cost and outcome? | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
If not, has this omission been justified? | 1 | 3 | ||||
D2b | If relative treatment effects have been derived from trial data, have they been synthesised using appropriate techniques? | 1 | 3 | |||
Have the methods and assumptions used to extrapolate short-term results to final outcomes been documented and justified? | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
Have alternative extrapolation assumptions been explored through sensitivity analysis? | 2 | 2 | ||||
Have assumptions regarding the continuing effect of treatment once treatment is complete been documented and justified? | 3 | 1 | ||||
Have alternative assumptions regarding the continuing effect of treatment been explored through sensitivity analysis? | 1 | 3 | ||||
D2c | Are the utilities incorporated into the model appropriate? | 1 | 3 | |||
Is the source for the utility weights referenced? | 3 | 1 | ||||
Are the methods of derivation for the utility weights justified? | 2 | 2 | ||||
D3 | Have all data incorporated into the model been described and referenced in sufficient detail? | 3 | 1 | |||
Has the use of mutually inconsistent data been justified (i.e. are assumptions and choices unclear appropriate)? | 4 | |||||
Is the process of data incorporation transparent? | 3 | 1 | ||||
If data have been incorporated as distributions, has the choice of distribution for each parameter been described and justified? | 2 | 2 | ||||
If data have been incorporated as distributions, is It clear that second order uncertainty is reflected? | 2 | 2 | ||||
D4 | Have the four principal types of uncertainty been addressed? | 1 | 3 | |||
If not, has the omission of particular forms of uncertainty been justified? | 3 | 1 | ||||
D4a | Have methodological uncertainties been addressed by running alternative versions of the model with different methodological assumptions? | 1 | 3 | |||
D4b | Is there evidence that structural uncertainties have been addressed via sensitivity analysis? | 1 | 3 | |||
D4c | Has heterogeneity been dealt with by running model separately for different sub-groups? | 1 | 3 | |||
D4d | Are the methods of assessment of parameter uncertainty appropriate? | 4 | ||||
If data are incorporated as point estimates, the ranges used for sensitivity analysis stated clearly and justified? | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
Consistency (C) | ||||||
C1 | Is there evidence that the mathematical logic of the model has been tested thoroughly before use? | 2 | 2 | |||
C2 | Are the conclusions valid given the data presented? | 4 | ||||
Are any counterintuitive results from the model explained and justified? | 2 | 2 | ||||
If the model has been calibrated against independent data, have any differences been explained and justified? | 1 | 3 | ||||
Have the results of the model been compared with those of previous models and any differences in results explained? | 2 | 2 | ||||