Economic Evaluation Methods in Post-Injury Care: A Global Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of Their Suitability for Decision-Making

Background and aim: Over 4 million people (8% of all deaths) worldwide die from traumatic injuries annually. For people aged 5-29 years, three of the top five causes of death are injury related, namely road traffic injuries, homicide, and suicide. Investments in injury care need to consider budget constraints, and economic evaluation studies can be employed to understand the costs and outcomes of competing interventions for injury care. However, these studies should be designed to meet the information requirements of decision makers. This systematic review aims to critically appraise the methodologies used in economic evaluations of injury care, assessing their suitability for informing decision-making.