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Health technology assessment is emerging in Lebanon, with an increased interest in health economic evaluations (EEs). Despite the importance of the methodological quality of EEs, no study has examined this issue in Lebanon.
Objective
As only methodologically robust health EE can meaningfully inform decision making, this study systematically reviews and critically appraises published full EEs in Lebanon, formulating recommendations to strengthen the quality and consistency of future evaluations within the Lebanese context.
Methods
We searched for full model- and trial-based EEs and cost-minimization analyses (CMAs) on NHSEED, Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL without language or time restrictions. We followed PRISMA guidelines, narratively synthesized the characteristics, methods, and results of studies, and critically appraised them using CHEC for trial-based evaluations and CMA and CHEC-Extended for model-based evaluations.
Results
Eight studies, published 2012–2025, were included: five model-based, two trial-based, and one CMA. Assessed technologies included screening/vaccination programs, diagnostic tools, nutrition education, e-mental health interventions, and early versus delayed treatment of hepatitis C. Methodological inconsistencies pertained mostly to discounting rates and willingness-to-pay thresholds. Suboptimal quality pertained mainly to model-based evaluations conducted by Lebanese researchers. Common pitfalls included the perspective being unclear; the identification, measurement, and valuation of costs and outcomes; model validation and calibration; sensitivity analyses; and discounting. The trial-based and CMA met more than 80 percent of the criteria.
Conclusion
We identified a limited number of published full EEs in Lebanon and highlighted their major shortcomings. Future work should scale up high-quality EEs in Lebanon, particularly modeling studies, to inform resource allocation.
The overall cost of medical care is high and creates a major burden for societies and governments. Nevertheless, healthcare economics does not necessarily entail cost reduction but rather is concerned with how to use resources more effectively. When choices are made in the alternative usages of resources, ethical decision-making is mandatory. For this reason, doctors should include budget in their decision-making process and decide if it is worthwhile spending extra money on a minor improvement in individual treatment rather than spending on health benefits for the whole community. However, there is no definitive determinant between benefit to the patient and social cost, and it may not be easy to achieve balance. Physicians will increasingly face more clinical guidelines, new administrative programs, managers/politicians who are under pressure and burdened with urgent business, and more well informed patients. Therefore, they should understand the principles and methods of clinical economics in order to ethically use new information about both the cost and the impact of clinical practice. As far as doctors critically evaluate data on cost and effectiveness, they may be able to preserve their roles not only as advocates of their patients but also as responsible members of hospitals, healthcare organizations, and society in general.
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