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May 19, 2006
Health Economics Analysis for Physical Activity Programme Guidance (Expressions of Interest for an Invitation to Tender): National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
Location: UK
Closing date: 19 May 2006 (for tender, but should express interest before)
CONTRACT: 16 months
BUDGET: £45K (exclusive of VAT)
NICE wishes to commission cost effectiveness analysis for programme guidance for the Highways Agency, Local Authorities, primary care, pharmacists, health visitors and community nurses, schools, workplaces, the leisure and fitness industry and sports clubs to meet the Chief Medical Officer’s physical activity recommendations.
Background: On 1 April 2005 the NICE took on the functions of the HDA to form the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), with a Centre for Public Health Excellence (CPHE). NICE is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on the promotion of good health and the prevention and treatment of ill health.
The physical activity topics were referred to NICE (the Institute) by the Department of Health as part of the 11th wave of work for the development of public health programme guidance aimed at promoting physical activity.
The primary aim of this guidance is to recommend environmental interventions that will increase physical activity levels in the general population, particularly by:
- incorporating physical activity into every day life
- increasing recreational activity
- increasing active travel
The guidance will provide recommendations for good practice, based on the best available evidence of effectiveness, including cost effectiveness. It is aimed at professionals with public health as part of their remit working within the NHS, local authorities and the wider public, private, voluntary and community sectors.
Related pieces of work are reviews of the effectiveness of environmental interventions that will increase physical activity levels in the general population. These involve critically reviewing, grading and summarising the evidence. Factors that influence effectiveness will be identified, such as the nature of the interventions, the socio-demographic characteristics of the population under study, the settings within which the interventions are delivered and the “profession” of the practitioners providing the interventions.
Health Economics Research Aims and Objectives: A key aspect of NICE guidance is the consideration of cost effectiveness. Typically health economics input into guidance involves critically reviewing and summarising the most up-to-date economic research on aspects of care of specific relevance to the guidelines, and considering the cost-effectiveness of the guidance that is put forward as recommendations for health policy and practice. It is usual practice for there to be dedicated health economic input in guidance development.
The role of the health economist in guidance development is fourfold. He or she:
- helps to identify the public health/prevention issues or questions for economic analysis, through:
- through agreement with CPHE and the effectiveness rapid review contractors
- reviews economic literature, through:
- the preparation of the health economic evidence for presentation to the members of the Physical Activity Programme Development Group (PDG) at each meeting
- carries out or commissions cost-effectiveness analyses, through:
- the development and use of appropriate economic model(s) and
- provides assistance with the writing of the guidance in areas of cost effectiveness, through:
- attendance at the Physical Activity PDG meetings (eight)
- advice to the Physical Activity PDG on cost effectiveness matters
The NICE technical manual provides detailed information on standard health economic input into the development of guidance.
Expressions of interest with full contact details should be emailed to Dr Bhash Naidoo (bhash.naidoo@nice.org.uk) and the invitation to tender will be emailed by return from Tuesday 4th April 2006.
The closing date for the Tender itself will be 16:00 on Friday 19th May 2006.
Dr Bhash Naidoo
Technical Advisor
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
MidCity Place
71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6NA
Telephone: 020 7400 0656
Fax: 020 7067 5801
Main switchboard : 020 7067 5800
Website: http://www.nice.org.uk/
