ESRC DTP Collaborative Studentship: International Collaboration on the Health Economic Evaluation of Health Screening

To date, methods for assessing the transferability of economic evaluation evidence have not been applied or adapted to health screening. Many aspects of screening are likely to differ between countries including incidence of disease, health service delivery and payment models, treatment availability, and costs. There are also aspects more likely to be similar.

This PhD aims to bridge this gap in knowledge and help determine a framework to assess and promote the transferability of evidence on health screening from other countries to inform UK decision-making. This PhD will include four unique elements:

1. A systematic review of methodological recommendations or tools to aid the transferability and adaptation of economic evaluations across countries or different contexts. 2. The identified tools will be applied to selected case studies by the UK NSC.

3. Interviews with specialist international health screening health economists to understand the barriers to open-source modelling and their experiences. The data will be analysed and used to produce a list of recommended practices to promote open-source modelling of health screening programmes.

4. Lastly, we will develop a framework to assess and promote the transferability of evidence on health screening from other countries to inform UK decision-making. This framework will be developed in collaboration with the UK NSC and used to underpin health screening evidence reviews going forward.

The studentship is in collaboration with the UK National Screening Committee, which will provide a mentor and develop a programme of training, data collection, and dissemination visits throughout the PhD. The methodology and techniques to be employed:

1. A systematic review of methodological recommendations or tools to aid the transferability and adaptation of economic evaluations across countries or different contexts. 2. The tools identified will then be applied to selected case studies identified by the UK NSC.

3. Interviews conducted with specialist international health screening health economists to understand the barriers to open-source modelling and their experiences. The data will be analysed and used to produce a list of recommended practices to promote open-source modelling of health screening programmes.

4. Lastly, we will develop a framework to assess and promote the transferability of evidence on health screening from other countries to inform UK decision-making. This framework will be developed in collaboration with the UK NSC and used to underpin health screening evidence reviews going forward.