IFSREEs offer a much more ‘in depth’ framework for incorporating economic evidence into Cochrane systematic intervention reviews. Conducting an IFSREE requires supplementary methods to be applied in parallel with conducting each stage of the main Cochrane review of intervention effectiveness.

Updated methods guidance on ‘How to plan and conduct an integrated full systematic review of economic evidence (IFSREE)’ is currently being prepared in the form of a forthcoming, supplementary online-only chapter of the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions (Version 6.0). Links to this updated, online-only material will be posted on this website it has been published (expected in early 2020).

Methods training materials on ‘How to plan and conduct an IFSREE’ are also being updated in conjunction with the updated methods guidance.

Planning and conducting an IFSREE is a resource-intensive process, requiring close engagement between one or more health economists with expertise in applying the methods and the Cochrane review author team through each stage of the process. Therefore, our recommended production model for IFSREEs involves one or more health economists working closely with, or ideally within, the review author team from the earliest stages of protocol development and throughout the review process, up to and including submission of the full Cochrane Review to the editorial process.

Additionally, the editorial process for assuring high-quality IFSREEs in published Cochrane intervention reviews requires specialist editorial input and peer review for both protocols and full reviews. Specialist editorial input for IFSREEs is sometimes provided by the health economics editors or advisors embedded in Cochrane editorial bases (trained and mentored by the C-CEMG), or else by health economist convenors or members of the C-CEMG with relevant methods training. Specialist peer review is generally provided by health economist convenors or members of the C-CEMG with relevant methods training.

All requests for specialist advice, editorial input and/or peer review for IFSREEs should be submitted by the Cochrane Review Group concerned, on behalf of review author teams, when applicable, via e-mail to: c.cemg@newcastle.ac.uk