Table 7

Methods used in producing a product or delivering a service

Characteristics
Organizations producing CPGs
(n = 31)
Organizations producing HTAs
(n = 19)
Organizations producing CPGs and HTAs
(n = 45)
Organizations supporting government policymaking (n = 57)

Types of information provided to the panel or employed*

Systematic reviews
31 (100%)
16 (84%)
42 (93%)
49 (86%)

Economic evaluations
15 (48%)
15 (79%)
24 (53%)
34 (60%)

Decision analyses
13 (42%)
9 (47%)
23 (51%)
29 (51%)

Existing burden of disease/illness
26 (84%)
17 (89%)
34 (76%)
38 (67%)

Existing practice patterns
21 (68%)
14 (74%)
33 (73%)
33 (58%)

Existing guidelines (or HTAs)
30 (97%)
15 (79%)
41 (91%)
38 (67%)

Resource constraints
11 (35%)
10 (53%)
18 (40%)
26 (46%)

Commissioned research
-
-
-
27 (47%)

Other
7 (23%)
5 (26%)
9 (20%)
10 (18%)

Explicit valuation process used*

Evidence is prioritized by its quality
30 (97%)
17 (89%)
41 (91%)
40 (70%)

Outcomes are prioritized by their importance to those affected
19 (61%)
10 (53%)
28 (52%)
39 (68%)

Groups are prioritized by their importance to achieving equity objectives
8 (26%)
0 (0%)
11 (24%)
27 (47%)

Methods used to formulate recommendations*

Subjective review
5 (16%)
5 (26%)
12 (27%)
26 (46%)

Informal consensus
10 (32%)
9 (47%)
11 (24%)
28 (49%)

Formal consensus (e.g., nominal group or Delphi techniques)
18 (58%)
3 (16%)
19 (42%)
29 (51%)

Graded according to the quality of the evidence and/or the strength of the recommendation (using an explicit rating scheme)
26 (84%)
12 (63%)
34 (76%)
31 (54%)

Explicit assessments used in formulating recommendations*

Quality of evidence
29 (94%)
16 (84%)
43 (96%)
41 (72%)

Trade-offs between benefits and harms
20 (65%)
9 (47%)
35 (78%)
35 (61%)

Costs
14 (45%)
12 (63%)
30 (67%)
31 (54%)

Equity
9 (29%)
6 (32%)
21 (47%)
27 (47%)

Review processes used*

Clinical or policy validation (e.g., pilot testing, trial implementation period)
9 (29%)
3 (16%)
11 (24%)
24 (42%)

Comparison with products or input from other groups
15 (48%)
5 (26%)
27 (60%)
19 (33%)

Internal review
26 (84%)
17 (89%)
38 (84%)
41 (72%)

External review by experts
24 (77%)
16 (84%)
42 (93%)
43 (75%)

External review by target users
18 (58%)
5 (26%)
21 (47%)
23 (40%)

*More than one answer was possible for the question

Lavis et al. Implementation Science 2008 3:54   doi:10.1186/1748-5908-3-54