Suggestions for a reference case

Abstract A key feature of both Gold et al (1996) and NICE (2004) is their provision of methodological guidance and best practice in the form of a reference case. The purpose of a reference case is to ensure that methods are based on sound economics and to help ensure that these soundly-based principles are consistently applied in economic evaluations, regardless of the intervention or the sector in which the evaluation is undertaken. The primary benefit of standardization is that it makes the results from different studies more readily comparable. Having a reference case does not preclude analysts undertaking other types of analysis or supplementing the guidance embodied in the reference case in other ways. However, departures from the reference case should be justified on the basis of potential shortcomings of the reference case for a specific context. In this chapter we synthesize the summaries, conclusions, challenges, and recommendations from the preceding chapters to formulate a reference case for economic evaluations in occupational health and safety (OHS). We think it is worth trying to build such a professional scientific consensus, and our prescriptions are intended to serve as a starting point. Our proposed reference case provides a minimal set of criteria for planning, assembling, and reporting economic evaluations of OHS interventions.