Table 1.

Answers to the methodological questions by study

	All studies			Lopez Bastida et al. [13]			Coduras et al. [14]			Rigaud et al. [15]			Kronborg Andersen et al. [16]			Cavallo et al. [17]			Mesterton et al. [18]			Kiencke et al. [19]			Leon et al. [20]			Hay et al. [21]			Rice et al. [22]			Leon et al. [23]			Ostbye et al. [24]			Zencir et al. [25]			Wang et al. [26]			Suh et al. [27]			Beeri et al. [28]			Allegri et al. [29]
	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No	Yes	P	No
1 Was a clear definition of the illness given?	10	5	2		P		Yes			Yes			Yes					No		P			P		Yes					No		P		Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes				P		Yes			Yes
2 Were epidemiological sources carefully described?	13	3	1	Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes				P		Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes				P		Yes				P		Yes			Yes					No	Yes
3 Were costs sufficiently disaggregated ?	12	0	5	Yes			Yes					No	Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes					No	Yes			Yes					No			No	Yes			Yes					No	Yes			Yes
4 Were activity data sources carefully described?	15	1	1	Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes				P		Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes					No	Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes
5 Were activity data appropriately assessed?	6	9	2	Yes				P			P			P			P		Yes					No	Yes			Yes			Yes				P				No		P			P		Yes				P			P
6 Were the sources of all cost values analytically described?	10	4	3	Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes				P		Yes					No	Yes			Yes				P			P				No		P		Yes			Yes					No	Yes
7 Were unit costs appropriately valued?	7	5	5	Yes			Yes				P			P			P		Yes					No	Yes			Yes				P				No			No			No	Yes			Yes					No		P
8 Were the methods adopted carefully explained?	11	6	0	Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes				P		Yes				P		Yes			Yes				P			P			P		Yes			Yes			Yes				P		Yes
9 Were costs discounted ?	0	2	15			No			No			No			No			No			No		P				No		P				No			No			No			No			No			No			No			No
10 Were the major assumptions tested in a sensitivity analysis?	3	0	14			No	Yes					No			No			No			No	Yes					No			No			No			No			No			No			No	Yes					No			No
11 Was the presentation of study results consistent with the methodology of study?	13	4	0	Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes			Yes				P			P		Yes			Yes				P		Yes			Yes			Yes				P		Yes
12 Total score by study	100	39	48	8	1	2	9	1	1	6	2	3	7	2	2	4	4	3	7	2	2	4	4	3	7	1	3	7	2	2	5	4	2	3	4	4	2	2	7	5	3	3	8	1	2	8	1	2	3	3	5	7	2	2

Total score by study was the sum of answers; P, Partially.