Table 2.
List of appraisal checklist questions
| Standard of reporting costs | ||
|
| ||
| #1 | Was the research question(s) well defined? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #2 | Was the perspective of the cost estimation clearly stated? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #3 | Was the time horizon of sufficient length to capture the costs of the intervention at scale? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #4 | Did the study include relevant inputs in the cost estimation (i.e. consumables, human resources, equipment and infrastructure, and managerial practice) (Johns and Torres, 2005)? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #5 | Were the methods for estimating the quantities of inputs clearly described? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #6 | Did the study clearly report the selection of data source(s) for the ‘units’ estimated in the cost per unit? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #7 | Was the sample size determined by the precision required for costing? If not, was the sample designed to be an accurate representation of the study population? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #8 | Did the study use relevant and appropriate discount, inflation, and currency conversion rates to enable cost adjustment over setting and time? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #9 | Did the study perform sensitivity analyses to characterize uncertainty associated with cost estimates? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #10 | Were cost estimates reported and communicated in a clear and transparent way? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
|
| ||
| Methodological quality of estimating costs at scale | ||
|
| ||
| #11 | Were average costs estimated for different levels of scale; and if so, did the study account for changes in input costs associated with increasing scale of the intervention? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #12 | Did the study quantify the relationship between average cost and scale? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #13 | Were fixed and variable costs analysed separately as scale increased? | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |
| #14 | Were factors other than scale, that could impact on cost, accounted for in the analysis? (e.g. scope, geography, target population, type of provider) | (Yes/No/Partially addressed) |