A reader's guide to economic analysis in the GI literature

To evaluate economic analyses and determine their value for clinical practice, the reader must have a clear understanding of how these analyses are performed and how the results can be applied to clinical practice. This second article in the ''Primer on Economic Analysis for the Gastroenterologist'' focuses on the critical assessment of economic evaluations in the gastrointestinal literature. Objectives: The purpose of this article is (1) to review the criteria for the critical appraisal of an economic analysis, and (2) to apply these criteria to two recent articles that examine the cost-effectiveness of screening for hemochromatosis. Methods: The criteria for the critical appraisal of an economic analysis are outlined. To demonstrate the application of these criteria to the gastroenterology literature, they are used to evaluate two recent articles that examine the cost-effectiveness of screening for hemochromatosis. Summary/Conclusions: The reader of economic analyses in the gastroenterology literature is provided with a framework for the evaluation of such analyses and how they apply to gastroenterology. A systematic method for examining economic analyses and determining their value for the reader is illustrated.