iDSI Reference Case for Economic Evaluation
A set of guidelines that help countries, especially low- and middle-income ones, carry out economic evaluations to decide which health interventions to prioritize. It provides clear principles and reporting standards to ensure evaluations are consistent, transparent, and useful for decision-making.
At a glance
Use when
Conducting or appraising economic evaluations for health technology assessment or priority setting in low- and middle-income countries
Avoid when
Working in high-income country systems with established, divergent reference cases (e.g., NICE reference case) where local norms differ significantly
Inputs
Health intervention data, cost data, epidemiological parameters, equity-relevant stratifiers, local context information
Outputs
Standardized economic evaluation reports with comparable cost-effectiveness results, equity impact assessments, and contextual applicability statements
How it works
The iDSI Reference Case outlines eleven principles and standardized reporting requirements for economic evaluations in healthcare. Developed by the International Decision Support Initiative with support from the Gates Foundation, it supports robust, comparable, and contextually relevant appraisals for health priority setting, particularly in resource-constrained settings. It covers methodological standards for costing, outcome measurement, equity considerations, and generalizability.
- HTA domains
- Costs & Economic Evaluation, Organisational aspects
- Assumptions
- Decision-makers need consistent, transparent, and locally relevant evidence; evaluations can be improved through standardized methods; equity and context are critical to priority setting
- Strengths
- Tailored for LMIC contexts, promotes methodological rigor and transparency, supports cross-country comparability, integrates equity and feasibility considerations
- Limitations
- May require adaptation to specific country systems; implementation depends on data availability and technical capacity
- Also known as
- iDSI Reference Case, International Decision Support Initiative Reference Case
Questions this answers
- › What methods should be used to conduct economic evaluations in low- and middle-income countries?
- › How should costs and health outcomes be measured and valued consistently?
- › What equity considerations should be included in priority-setting evaluations?
- › How can economic evaluations be made more transparent and comparable across settings?
- › What reporting standards improve the usability of evaluations by decision-makers?
- › How should transferability and generalizability of results be addressed?
References & sources
Similar by meaning
- Hungarian Methodological Guidelines for Economic Evaluation of Healthcare Interventions
- Spanish recommendations on economic evaluation of health technologies (López-Bastida guideline)
- Guidelines for the Economic Evaluation of Health Technologies in Ireland (HIQA)
- Dutch Guideline for Economic Evaluations in Healthcare
- Italian Group of Pharmacoeconomic Studies (GISP) guidelines for economic evaluations in Italy
Beta record. Based on the original catalogue summary; primary-source enrichment pending.