Hinde and Spackman
Appraisal of: Hinde S, Spackman E, Claxton K, Sculpher M J. The cost-effectiveness threshold: the results of a novel literature review method. Value in Health 2011;14:A354.
Reviewer(s):
David Kaunelis
Julie Glanville
Full Reference:
Hinde S, Spackman E, Claxton K, Sculpher M J. The cost-effectiveness threshold: the results of a novel literature review method. Value in Health 2011;14:A354.
Short description:
This research is reported as a conference abstract. The authors report a comparison of searching for papers on the cost-effectiveness threshold using key terms with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and pearl growing from a pool of relevant papers. Searching using a search strategy identified 34 papers of which 17 were relevant. Pearl growing identified 76 relevant papers including the 17 already identified. Pearl growing identifies papers and chapters not indexed elsewhere.
Limitations stated by the author(s):
The existing software (unspecified) limits the searching.
Limitations stated by the reviewer(s):
The limited space provided in a conference abstract does not offer the authors the opportunity to describe the databases they searched and how they conducted the pearl growing. Journal databases do not index reports or books or book chapters so searches limited to journals would not be comparable to the pearl growing approach. The authors do not report the time taken for the two approaches and the number of irrelevant references rejected through the pearl growing.
Study Type:
Single study
Related Chapters:
Costs and economic evaluation
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