The Campbell and Cochrane Economics Methods Group (CCEMG) was formally registered as a Cochrane Collaboration methods group in 1998 and has been jointly registered as a Campbell Collaboration methods group since 2004. Core aims of the group include, within available resources, include:

• to promote and support consideration of economics issues within systematic reviews;

• to develop economics methods for Cochrane reviews that are relevant to the consumers of reviews and appropriate, unbiased and objective in terms of their application; and

• to link review authors and editors with economists who can help with reviews or provide specialist advice and peer review.

Many Cochrane reviews already include coverage of economics aspects of interventions. However, this chapter is the first time that the Handbook has included detailed guidance on the use of economics methods in Cochrane reviews. Future versions of the chapter will be informed by an ongoing programme of methodological research and further experience of Cochrane reviews incorporating economics evidence.

E-mail: research@c-cemg.org

Web site: www.c-cemg.org