'This handbook is an excellent reflection of the growing maturity and methodological sophistication of the field of Health Technology Assessment. The Handbook covers a spectrum of issues, from primary evidence (clinical trials) through reviews and meta-analysis, to identifying and filling gaps in the evidence. Up-to-date, clearly written, and well-edited, the handbook is a needed addition to any personal or professional library dealing with Health Technology Assessment.'

IntroductionMethods in Evidence Based Healthcare and Health Technology Assessment - An OverviewPART ONE: CLINICAL TRIALSIntroduction - Richard J Lilford and Andrew StevensEthical Issues in the Design and Conduct of Randomized Controlled Trials - Richard J Lilford, Sarah Edwards, David Braunholtz, Jennifer Jackson, Jim Thornton and Jenny HewisonEthics of Clinical Trials - Richard E Ashcroft Social, Cultural and Economic FactorsFactors That Limit the Number, Progress and Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials - Sue Ross, Carl Counsell, William J Gillespie, Adrian Grant, Robin Prescrott, Ian Russell, Iain Colthart, Sandra Kiauka, Daphne Russell and Sue Shepard A Systematic ReviewResults of Clinical Trials and Systematic Reviews - Dianne O'Connell, Paul P Glasziou, Suzanne Hill, Jasminka Sarunac, Julia Lowe and David Henry To Whom Do They Apply?The Placebo Effect - Rosemary Crow, Heather Gage, Sarah E Hampson, Jo Hart, Alan C Kimber and Hilary Thomas Methodological Process and Implications of a Structured ReviewPART TWO: OBSERVATIONAL AND QUALITATIVE METHODSIntroduction - Ray FitzpatrickRandomized and Non-Randomized Studies - Colin Sanderson, Martin McKee, Annie Britton, Nicholas Black, Klim McPherson and Chris Bain Threats to Internal and External ValidityA Review of Observational, Quasi-Experimental and Randomized Study Designs for the Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Healthcare Interventions - Barnaby Reeves, Rachel MacLehose, Ian Harvey, Trevor Sheldon, Ian Russell and Andrew McLaren Spiers BlackThe Potential Use of Routine Data Sets in Health Technology Assessment - James Raftery, Andrew Stevens and Paul RoderickUsing Routine Data to Complement and Enhance the Results of Randomized Controlled Trials - James Lewsey, Gordon Murray, Alastair H Leyland and Andrew BoddyQualitative Methods in Health Technology Assessment - Elizabeth Murphy and Robert DingwallPART THREE: MEASUREMENT OF BENEFIT AND COSTIntroduction - John BrazierCriteria for Assessing Patient-Based Outcome Measures for Use in Clinical Trials - Ray Fitzpatrick, Claire Davey, Martin Buxton and David JonesThe Use of Health Status Measures in Economic Evaluation - John Brazier, Mark Deverill and Colin GreenCollecting Resource Use Data for Costing in Clinical Trials - Katharine Johnstone, Martin Buxton, David Jones and Ray FitzpatrickEliciting Time Preferences for Health - John Cairns and Marjon van der PolThe Conduct and Design of Questionnaire Surveys in Healthcare Research - Elaine McColl, Ann Jacoby, Lois Thomas, Jennifer Soutter, Claire Bamford, Nick Steen, Roger Thomas, Emma Harvey, Andrew Garratt and John BondPART FOUR: ANALYTICAL METHODSIntroduction - Keith R AbramsBayesian Methods - David Spiegelhalter, Jonathan Myles, David Jones and Keith AbramsMethods for Evaluating Organization or Area-Based Health Interventions - Martin Gulliford, Obioha C Ukoummunne, Susan Chinn, Jonathan Sterne, Peter Burney and Allan DonnerHandling Uncertainty in Economic Evaluation - Andrew Briggs and Alastair GrayA Review of the Use of the Main Quality of Life Measures, and Sample Size Determination for Quality of Life Measures, Particularly in Cancer Trials - Michael Campbell, Steven A Julious, Sarah Walker, Steve George and David MachinSimultaneous Assessment of Quality of Life and Survival Data - Lucinda Billingham, Keith Abrams and David JonesPART FIVE: CONSENSUS, REVIEWS AND META-ANALYSISIntroduction - Andrew Stevens and Keith R AbramsPublication and Related Biases - Fuijan Song, Alison Eastwood, Simon Gilbody, Lelia Buley and Alex SuttonMeta-Analysis in Health Technology Assessment - Alexander Sutton, David Jones, Keith Abrams, Trevor Sheldon and Fujian SongAssessing the Quality of Reports of Randomized Trials Included in Meta-Analyses - David Moher, Terry Klassen, Alison Jones Ba'Pham, Deborah Cook, Alejandro Jada, Peter Tugwell and Michael Moher Attitudes, Practice, Evidence and GuidesConsensus Development Methods, and Their Use in Creating Clinical Guidelines - Nick Black, Maggie Murphy, Donna Lamping, Martin McKee, Colin Sanderson, Janet Askham and Theresa MarteauPART SIX: IDENTIFYING AND FILLING GAPS IN THE EVIDENCEIntroduction - Andrew StevensIdentifying New Health Care Technologies - Glenn Robert, Andrew Stevens and John GabbayTiming of Assessment of Fast-Changing Health Technologies - Graham Mowatt, Adrian Grant, D Jane Bower, John A Brebner, John Cairns and Lorna McKeePreliminary Economic Evaluation of Health Technologies - Gareth Harper, Joy Townsend and Martin Buxton