CONDUCT MRC HTMR
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Collaboration and Innovation for Difficult or Complex Randomised Controlled Trials (ConDuCT)
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Health economics
Members of the health economics research theme have recently published the results of a trial designed to discover whether offering resource-use logs to trial participants can reduce the amount of missing data in subsequent questionnaires, and whether such logs are acceptable to patients (Marques et al., 2013). Resource-use logs are diaries used to prospectively record healthcare resources consumed. Although the recorded data are not formally collected or analysed, the logs act as memory aids for patients. The trial revealed that patients given a log were 3.5 times more likely to complete questions about community-based services. The logs were considered to be useful by the patients involved. Following on from this study, theme members in collaboration with members of the North West and Midlands methodological hubs have recently succeeded in obtaining HTMR network funding to establish whether these logs can also improve recall bias. This will be assessed through the validation of the patients' questionnaire responses with their primary care records.Theme members will also be contributing to papers to be presented at the biannual Health Economists' Study Group meeting, to be held in Warwick in June 2013. A paper entitled 'Health Economics and Population Health: Emerging Methodological and Policy Issues for the Health Economics Community' tackles the problem of methods of economic evaluation associated with public health interventions, with a focus on balancing the need for rigorous economic evaluation with decision makers' requirements for rapid and unambiguous results. An associated workshop is planned for the forthcoming UKCRC Public Health Centres of Excellence Conference in Cardiff in July 2013.
- Marques E, Johnson EC, Gooberman-Hill R, Blom AW, Noble S (2013). Using Resource Use Logs to Reduce the Amount of Missing Data in Economic Evaluations Alongside Trials, Value in Health, 16(1):195-201.
The first phase of ConDuCT is funded until 31 March 2014. The ConDuCT Hub consists of six research themes working together to strengthen trial methodology.
This page will provide monthly highlights on developments, activities and news about one of the ConDuCT research themes.
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