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Taxonomy for Methods of Resource Use Measurement
Author(s) -
Ridyard Colin H.,
Hughes Dyfrig A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/hec.3029
Subject(s) - guardian , data collection , resource use , proxy (statistics) , taxonomy (biology) , transparency (behavior) , health care , medicine , psychology , family medicine , computer science , statistics , political science , environmental resource management , botany , environmental science , mathematics , computer security , machine learning , law , biology
Abstract Resource use measures, including forms, diaries and questionnaires, are ubiquitous in trial‐based economic evaluations in the UK. However, there are concerns about the accuracy of how they are described, which limits the transparency of reporting. We developed a simple and structured taxonomy for methods of resource use measurement by examining 94 resource use measures (RUMs) employed within clinical trials, conducting a descriptive synthesis of the extracted data and soliciting wider opinion during a period of consultation. The reporting of RUMs was found to be varied and inconsistent. Our new taxonomy, which considered the views of 20 consultees, requires that RUMs are reported with a description of the following: (i) the source of data (patient; patient proxy, e.g. carer, parent or guardian; observation of contemporary events; medical records; or other databases); (ii) who completes the RUM (patient or their proxy, and researcher or health care professional); (iii) how it is administered (to self [the patient], face to face or telephone); (iv) how it is recorded (form, questionnaire, log or diary); and (v) medium of recording (e.g. paper or electronically). Based on the present analysis, we have developed a taxonomy for RUMs that should result in data collection methods being described more accurately. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.