Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28933003›Full record

ArticlePharmacoEconomics2018

Research Costs Investigated: A Study Into the Budgets of Dutch Publicly Funded Drug-Related Research.

Thea van Asselt, Bram Ramaekers, Isaac Corro Ramos, Manuela Joore, Maiwenn Al, Ivonne Lesman-Leegte, Maarten Postma, Pepijn Vemer, Talitha Feenstra

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PharmacoEconomics, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Thea van AsseltDepartment of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. a.d.i.van.asselt@umcg.nl.ORCID 0000-0001-7705-9906
Bram RamaekersDepartment KEMTA, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-5785-9228
Isaac Corro RamosInstitute for Medical Technology Assessment, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-1294-8187
Manuela JooreDepartment KEMTA, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Maiwenn AlErasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Ivonne Lesman-LeegteDepartment of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Maarten PostmaDepartment of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Pepijn VemerDepartment of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-3910-7433
Talitha FeenstraDepartment of Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-5788-0454

Funding

ZonMw 80-82500-98-14005
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe costs of performing research are an important input in value of information (VOI) analyses but are difficult to assess.

objectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the costs of research, serving two purposes: (1) estimating research costs for use in VOI analyses; and (2) developing a costing tool to support reviewers of grant proposals in assessing whether the proposed budget is realistic.

methodsFor granted study proposals from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw), type of study, potential cost drivers, proposed budget, and general characteristics were extracted. Regression analysis was conducted in an attempt to generate a 'predicted budget' for certain combinations of cost drivers, for implementation in the costing tool.

resultsOf 133 drug-related research grant proposals, 74 were included for complete data extraction. Because an association between cost drivers and budgets was not confirmed, we could not generate a predicted budget based on regression analysis, but only historic reference budgets given certain study characteristics. The costing tool was designed accordingly, i.e. with given selection criteria the tool returns the range of budgets in comparable studies. This range can be used in VOI analysis to estimate whether the expected net benefit of sampling will be positive to decide upon the net value of future research.

conclusionThe absence of association between study characteristics and budgets may indicate inconsistencies in the budgeting or granting process. Nonetheless, the tool generates useful information on historical budgets, and the option to formally relate VOI to budgets. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt at creating such a tool, which can be complemented with new studies being granted, enlarging the underlying database and keeping estimates up to date.

Indexed as

BudgetsBiomedical ResearchDrug DevelopmentFinancing, GovernmentHumansNetherlandsRegression Analysis

Identifiers

PMID28933003
PMCPMC5775385

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.