Four New Ideas for Systematic Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Systematic learning from pooling available cost-effectiveness analyses is undermined by the low quality and availability of costing data across studies. We present four new ideas for improvement: (i) costing preanalysis plans and reporting templates, (ii) defining the costing perspective and reporting the information needed to modify cost calculations, (iii) calculating a cost estimate that reflects the specific impact estimand used in a study, and (iv) reporting costs for randomized controlled trials regardless of the statistical significance of outcomes. Adopting these practices can further the goal of allowing evidence-based policymakers to identify the policies that generate greatest benefit at lowest cost.