The Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) framework is designed to be used in the reporting of cost-effectiveness analyses [2].

In the evolving landscape of healthcare delivery, the efficiency of care and the utilization of analytic techniques to assess the clinical and economic outcomes of health improvement strategies are increasingly crucial. Cost-effectiveness analysis stands as a vital analytic tool, enabling the comparison of the costs and outcomes of a healthcare program against one or more alternatives [2]. This analysis is expressed as a ratio of incremental cost to incremental health effect. These effects are measured in health outcomes such as disease prevention, life years gained, or quality-adjusted life-years, rather than purely monetary metrics, which are typical in cost-benefit analysis [1].

Cost-effectiveness analysis is instrumental in guiding decisions on the application of new or existing diagnostic tests, treatments, and preventive and public health interventions to ensure prudent resource utilization. Furthermore, it contributes to understanding the estimated population-level public health impact of these interventions and supports the decision-making process regarding disinvestment in less cost-effective, older interventions. By providing a systematic framework for comparing the relative value of different interventions, cost-effectiveness analysis offers essential information to healthcare decision-makers, aiding them in selecting interventions that best align with their programmatic and financial objectives [1].

[1] Sanders GD, Neumann PJ, Basu A, Brock DW, Feeny D, Krahn M, Kuntz KM, Meltzer DO, Owens DK, Prosser LA, Salomon JA. Recommendations for conduct, methodological practices, and reporting of cost-effectiveness analyses: second panel on cost-effectiveness in health and medicine. Jama. 2016 Sep 13;316(10):1093-103.

[1] Siegel JE, Weinstein MC, Russell LB, Gold MR. Recommendations for reporting cost-effectiveness analyses. Jama. 1996 Oct 23;276(16):1339-41.