PloS one
Methodological drivers, reporting completeness, and transferability in HPV vaccination economic evaluations: A scoping review
By Kisa A and Kisa S.
Abstract
Background
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is widely reported as cost-effective, but reported incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) are shaped by model structure, assumptions, comparator choice, vaccine price, threshold selection, and local screening context. Previous reviews have summarized cost-effectiveness findings but have less often examined why conclusions differ across settings.
Objective
To map methodological evolution, drivers of variation, reporting completeness, methodological credibility, and transferability in HPV vaccination economic evaluations.
Methods
A scoping review was conducted using the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, refined by Levac et al., and informed by JBI guidance for scoping reviews. Reporting followed PRISMA-ScR, and the protocol was preregistered on the Open Science Framework (OSF). PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2025, with a final search conducted on January 2, 2026. Forty-four records were mapped. Thirty-three full comparative economic evaluations formed the primary synthesis; 11 partial or non-standard economic evidence records were retained as contextual evidence. The Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards 2022 (CHEERS 2022) checklist was applied retrospectively to assess reporting completeness, and a descriptive structured appraisal was used to examine methodological credibility across six health-economic domains. A Welte-informed assessment was used to examine target-context contextualization.