Table 2.

Framework for quality assessment of HEE quality appraisal instruments

Dimension	Item
A. Purpose and scope	A1. The reasons for developing the guideline are stated
	A2. The overall objective of the guideline is described
	A3. The health economic studies for which the guideline was designed are stated
	A4. The target audience of the guideline is characterized
	A5. The time frame to which the guideline is meant to apply is specified
B. Stakeholder involvement	B1. The guideline development group consists of individuals from all relevant disciplines
	B2. Conflicts of interest of guideline development group members have been recorded and addressed
	B3. The views and preferences of the target audience have been sought
C. Rigor of development process/validity	C1. The members of the guideline development group and their affiliations are stated
	C2. The methods used for literature search are specified
	C3. The sources of evidence on which the guideline is based are described
	C4. The criteria for selecting existing evidence are described
	C5. The methods for formulating the items are specified
	C6. The methods used to reach consensus are specified
	C7. The date for reviewing/updating the guideline is stated
	C8. The guideline is valid in terms of:
	C8a. Content (internal) validity
	C8b. Criterion (external) validity
	C8c. Construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity)
D. Reliability/ reproducibility	D1. The process of guideline development is documented
	D2. The guideline has been externally reviewed by experts prior to its publication
	D3. The guideline has been piloted/pretested among the target audience
	D4. The guideline is reliable in terms of:
	D4a. Inter-rater reliability
	D4b. Test-retest reliability
	D4c. Parallel-forms reliability
	D4d. Internal consistency reliability
E. Clarity of presentation	E1. The items of the guideline are specific and clearly worded
	E2. The items of the guideline are clearly presented and user friendly
	E3. The guideline can be used in a straightforward manner
	E4. Key items are easily identifiable
F. Applicability	F1. The guideline provides a standard reporting format
	F2. The guideline gives a detailed assessment instruction
	F3. The guideline presents items of methodological quality and transparency
	F4. The guideline uses a quality score
	F5. The strengths and limitations of the guideline are specified
G. Evaluation	G1. The methods for evaluating the guideline are described
	G2. The adherence to the guideline by the target audience is described