Evidence mapping of methods for incorporating economic considerations in clinical practice guideline development: a scoping review and document analysis protocol

Background: Incorporating economic evidence in clinical guidelines enhances efficiency in healthcare systems. The underuse of high-quality economic evidence in clinical guideline development can result in inefficiencies that undermine population health. Consequently, economic dimensions have been incorporated into guideline development in recent years. Even with these advances, the process of incorporating economic evidence into clinical guidelines is unclear. Furthermore, the selection, appraisal, and synthesis of economic evidence to be included in guideline development is often inconsistent and non-systematic. Thus, we aim to examine the literature for guidance on methods, including economic evidence, in developing clinical practice guidelines and summarise these methods.

Methods: We will conduct a scoping review to examine current practices in integrating economic evidence in guideline development, guided by the framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews. We will develop a search strategy using keywords and index terms related to economic evidence in guidelines. Two authors will search the relevant electronic databases and grey literature sources for methods manuals published within the last ten years. After screening the guideline manuals against the eligibility criteria, two authors will independently review the full texts to extract the data. We will use a narrative approach to describe the dominant methodological approaches and challenges identified in incorporating economic evidence in guideline development.

Conclusion: The results from this scoping review will provide an overview of the current methods for incorporating economic evidence in guideline development. This will provide guidance for guideline development groups in Malawi, Nigeria, and South Africa working on the Global Evidence, Local Adaptation project, but it may also be applicable to a broader global audience.