Impact of Sponsorship on Economic Studies in Oncology
Author Information
Author(s): Michael Hartmann, H Knoth, D Schulz, S Knoth
Primary Institution: Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena
Hypothesis
Is there a statistically significant relationship between the type of sponsorship and various outcomes in health economic studies in oncology?
Conclusion
Industry-sponsored studies are more likely to report positive conclusions about costs compared to nonprofit-sponsored studies.
Supporting Evidence
- 71% of the studies evaluated were sponsored by nonprofit organizations.
- 63% of the studies were cost-effectiveness analyses.
- Industry-sponsored studies were 2.56 times more likely to be cost-minimisation analyses.
Takeaway
This study found that studies funded by drug companies often show better results for their products than those funded by nonprofit organizations.
Methodology
The study analyzed 150 health economic publications in oncology, comparing those sponsored by industry and nonprofit organizations based on various criteria.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of publication bias, as studies with positive results are more likely to be published.
Limitations
The study did not investigate individual studies for potential selection bias and did not stratify based on study quality.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.004
Confidence Interval
lower 99% CI=1.28
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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