ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the selection of an appropriate and feasible study design. Once the study problem and its objectives have been defined and options have been selected, the next stage is to set up a trial period for the cost-effectiveness analysis involving costs and outcomes data collection. Service providers may also object to the use of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of counselling interventions due to the practical or ethical difficulties in randomly allocating patients to different intervention groups. A before and after study design is appropriate if a counselling service is already being provided in the healthcare setting or if there is a need to assess the cost-effectiveness of the counselling options within usual service provision conditions and it is felt that an RCT is not feasible.
