INTERNAL TOOLS

When reporting systematic reviews it is recommended that one provide a graphical representation of your article screening process. [see the PRISMA statement] While you can manually draw a PRISMA Flow Diagram, this manual process may become tiresome if it needs to be repeated as the review is underway. By creating a tool that automatically generates a PRISMA Flow Diagram from a simple set of information, the process of updating or adjusting these diagrams is simplified.

The PRISMA Flow Diagram Generator can produce its output in 10 different file formats, including PNG, GIF, PDF and EPS - choose any number of formats as appropriate to your publication's requirements.

EXTERNAL TOOLS

HERC database of mapping studiesan Excel spreadsheet listing studies mapping to EQ-5D from other patient-reported outcome measures or clinical instruments, is now available. It presents details of the sample size, modelling methods and patient population, in addition to the citation details and source instruments that are mapped in each of the 135 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. An article summarising the methods of the literature review and the results of version 2.0 of the database has been published in Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. The current version (5.0) is based on searches conducted in April 2016; the database will be updated regularly as new studies are published.

The database aims to provide a readily-accessible collection of all studies mapping to EQ-5D that is easy to search and filter. We anticipate that this will be useful for:

  • Those who wish to identify mapping studies to estimate utilities for cost-utility analyses and/or decision-analytical models constructed for publication or for submissions to health technology assessment (HTA) organizations, such as NICE, SMC, CADTH or PBAC.
  • Authors, editors or reviewers who wish to assess the novelty of a new mapping study.
  • Those conducting systematic reviews of methods for estimating utilities or QALYs.
  • Those seeking to identify the estimation models and sample sizes currently used in mapping studies and identify new developments for further research.