Elsevier

Value in Health

Volume 19, Issue 2, March–April 2016, Pages 255-266
Value in Health

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
Sources and Characteristics of Utility Weights for Economic Evaluation of Pediatric Vaccines: A Systematic Review

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2015.11.003Get rights and content
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Abstract

Background

Cost-effectiveness analysis of pediatric vaccines for infectious diseases often requires quality-of-life (utility) weights.

Objective

To investigate how utility weights have been elicited and used in this context.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted of studies published between January 1990 and July 2013 that elicited or used utility weights in cost-effectiveness analyses of vaccines for pediatric populations. The review focused on vaccines for 17 infectious diseases and is presented following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology.

Results

A total of 6410 titles and abstracts and 225 full-text articles were reviewed. Of those selected for inclusion (n = 101), 15 articles described the elicitation of utility weights and 86 described economic modeling studies using utilities. Various methods were used to generate utilities, including time trade-off, contingent valuation, and willingness to pay, as well as a preference-based measure with associated value sets, such as the EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire or the Health Utilities Index. In modeling studies, the source of utilities used was often unclear, poorly reported, or based on weak underlying evidence. We found no articles that reported on the elicitation or use of utilities in diphtheria, polio, or tetanus.

Conclusions

The scarcity of appropriate utility weights for vaccine-preventable infectious diseases in children and a lack of standardization in their use in economic assessments limit the ability to accurately assess the benefits associated with interventions to prevent infectious diseases. This is an issue that should be of concern to those making decisions regarding the prevention and treatment of infectious childhood illnesses.

Keywords

infectious diseases
literature review
pediatric
utilities
vaccine-preventable

Cited by (0)

Conflict of interest: M. Herdman, A. Cole, C. K. Hoyle, and N. Devlin are or were all employees of the Office of Health Economics at the time this study was performed. V. Coles and S. Carroll are or were employees of Sanofi-Pasteur MSD at the time this study was performed.