New BMJ policy on economic evaluations

We won't publish economic evaluations unless offered the clinical results as well

Papers p 1135

This week we publish an economic evaluation of screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms.1 It is based on a randomised trial. At the same time the Lancet is publishing the clinical results.2 Unfortunately this is a common pattern—for the Lancet to publish the clinical results and us to publish the economic evaluation. We have decided that this can't continue. We will now consider for publication economic evaluations based on clinical trials only if the clinical results are submitted to us as well. This is partly petulance, but we think our policy is reasonable.

The clinical world …