The identification of economically relevant health and social care services for mental disorders in the PECUNIA project
Authors: Hinck Paul , Gutierrez-Colosía Mencia , Duval Christine , König Hans-Helmut , Simon Judit , Fischer Claudia , Mayer Susanne , Salvador-Carulla Luis , Brodszky Valentin , Roijen Leona Hakkaart-van , Evers Silvia , Park A.-La , Hollingworth William ,   on behalf of the PECUNIA Group, Berger Michael , Łaszewska Agata , Peri´c Nataša , Brettschneider Christian , Duval Marie Christine , Hohls Johanna Katharina , Muntendorf Louisa-Kristin , Gulácsi László , Evers Silvia M. A. A. , Drost Ruben M. W. A. , Janssen Luca M. M. , Paulus Aggie T. G. , Pokhilenko Irina , Hubens Kimberley , Sajjad Ayesha , Serrano-Aguilar Pedro , Almeda Nerea , Campoy-Muñoz Pilar , García-Alonso Carlos R. , Gutiérrez-Colosía Mencía R. , Romero-López-Alberca Cristina , García-Pérez Lidia , Linertová Renata , Perestelo-Pérez Lilisbeth , Valcárcel-Nazco Cristina , Noble Sian , Thorn Joanna , Konnopka Alexander 
Published: September 2023

Abstract
Background
Health economic research is still facing significant problems regarding the standardization and international comparability of health care services. As a result, comparative effectiveness studies and cost-effectiveness analyses are often not comparable. This study is part of the PECUNIA project, which aimed to improve the comparability of economic evaluations by developing instruments for the internationally standardized measurement and valuation of health care services for mental disorders. The aim of this study was to identify internationally relevant services in the health and social care sectors relevant for health economic studies for mental disorders.

Methods
A systematic literature review on cost-of-illness studies and economic evaluations was conducted to identify relevant services, complemented by an additional grey literature search and a search of resource use measurement (RUM) questionnaires. A preliminary long-list of identified services was explored and reduced to a short-list by multiple consolidation rounds within the international research team and an external international expert survey in six European countries.

Results
After duplicate removal, the systematic search yielded 15,218 hits. From these 295 potential services could be identified. The grey literature search led to 368 and the RUM search to 36 additional potential services. The consolidation process resulted in a preliminary list of 186 health and social care services which underwent an external expert survey. A final consolidation step led to a basic list of 56 services grouped into residential care, daycare, outpatient care, information for care, accessibility to care, and self-help and voluntary care.

Conclusions
The initial literature searches led to an extensive number of potential service items for health and social care. Many of these items turned out to be procedures, interventions or providing professionals rather than services and were removed from further analysis. The resulting list was used as a basis for typological coding, the development of RUM questionnaires and corresponding unit costs for international mental health economic studies in the PECUNIA project.