Additional file 4. Key characteristics of the models involved in the exercise.

Model / Harvard / WHO-CHOICE / GSK / Merck / South-African / Thai
Representative publication / Goldie et al., 2007 [10] / Ginsberg et al., 2009 [13] / Suarez et al., 2008 [30] / Elbasha et al., 2007 [27] / Sinanovic et al., 2009 [12] / Praditsitthikorn et al., 2010 [26]
Country / Brazil / Global / Chile, Finland, Ireland, Poland, Taiwan / U.S.A. / South-Africa / Thailand
Provenance / Original / Some screening parameters from Harvard group models. / Simplified version of Goldie et al., 2004 [31] / Original / Structure and some parameters adapted from Myers et al., 2000 [32] / Structure and some parameters adapted from Myers et al., 2000 [32]
Type of model / Stochastic microsimulation / State transition population model / Markov model / Transmission dynamic model / Markov model / Semi-Markov model
Model structure / Static, closed (can be used as an open model), individual-based / Static, open, aggregate / Static, closed, aggregate / Dynamic, open, aggregate / Static, closed, aggregate / Static, closed, aggregate
Epidemiological parameters / Monthly age- and type-specific incidence of HPV infection; progression to/within CIN; regression from CIN and HPV clearance; progression to/within cancer; cancer detection; all cause and cancer mortality; natural immunity; vaccine coverage, efficacy and duration; screening coverage, sensitivity and specificity. / Incidence rate; case-fatality rate; background mortality rate; vaccine efficacy; screening efficacy; treatment efficacy / Age-specific HPV infection; overall mortality rates; age- and type specific annual transition probabilities between health-states; frequency, sensitivity and specificity for screening; vaccine efficacy, coverage and duration of protection, proportion of lesion attributable to the covered HPV types, precancerous lesion treatment pattern / Incidence and per capita force of HPV infection; regression, persistence and progression rates of infection and of CIN; age- and stage specific cervical cancer mortality rates; incidence and regression rates for genital warts; degree and duration of vaccine protection; vaccine coverage; hysterectomy rates; cytology screening coverage, sensitivity and specificity. / Age-specific incidence of HPV infection; regression and progression rates of infection, LSIL and HSIL; cancer-related, HIV-related and all-cause mortality rates; screening and treatment rates; vaccine coverage, degree and duration of protection. / Age-specific HPV infection incidence; prevalence of HPV infection and of CIN; persistence, remission and recurrence rates of infection and of CIN; cervical cancer and all-cause mortality rates; transition probabilities between health states; effectiveness of screening; vaccine coverage.
Interventions possible with the model / Screening (Pap, HPV DNA, VIA); vaccination; combinations of screening and vaccination of girls and boys. / Screening (Pap, HPV DNA, VIA, PAP then PAP/HPV); combinations of vaccination, screening and treatment of girls. / Combinations of vaccination and screening of 12-year old girls. / Vaccination of 12-year old girls and/or boys, catch-up vaccination. / Vaccination of 12 y-old girls. / Combinations of vaccination and screening (Pap, VIA) of girls in several age-groups and coverage rates.
Vaccine used / Any / Any / Bivalent (16/18) / Quadrivalent (6/11/16/18) / Any / Any
HPV types included / 16, 18, other high-risk, low-risk / Any high-risk (together) / Oncogenic HPV / HPV 6/11/16/18 / Any high-risk (together) / Any high-risk (together)
Diseases captured / Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer / Cervical cancer / Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer / Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer, anogenital warts / Low and high grade sqamous intraepithelial lesions, cervical cancer / Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer
Outcomes / Reductions in lifetime cervical cancer risk and mortality; (quality-adjusted) life expectancy; lifetime costs / Population health-gain (DALYs averted) attributable to implementation of the intervention / Age specific cervical cancer incidence; cervical cancer mortality, CIN 1-3, life years; QALYs / Age-specific HPV infection prevalence; age-specific incidence of cervical cancer, CIN and genital warts / Age-specific HPV infection prevalence; cervical cancer incidence / Age-specific HPV infection prevalence; cervical cancer incidence
Calibration and/or validation / A likelihood-based approach to fit to empirical data; comparison of outcomes with population-based data / None reported (used pre-calibrated results from Harvard group work) / Outcomes compared with population based cervical cancer incidence / Outcomes compared with population-based data / None reported. / Model HPV prevalence compared to data from a community survey.
Economic parameters / Medical costs (vaccination, screening, diagnosis, and treatment); nonmedical costs (transportation); patient time costs; health utility values. / Medical costs (for vaccination, screening and treatment); disability weights / Direct medical costs (for vaccination, screening and treatment); health utility values / Medical costs (for vaccination, screening and treatment for CIN, genital warts and cervical cancer); health utility values / Medical costs (for vaccination, screening and treatment); patient costs (time and transport costs); QOL-weights / Direct medical costs (for vaccination, screening and treatment); direct non-medical costs; patient costs (time and transport costs); health utility values
Economic perspective / Societal / Healthcare provider / Healthcare provider / Healthcare provider / Healthcare provider and societal / Healthcare provider and societal
Comparator / No vaccination; vaccination of girls; cytology screening; HPV DNA testing; vaccination + screening. / No intervention / Current screening / Current practice in the US (screening) / Current practice in South Africa (screening) / No intervention
Economic outcomes / Lifetime costs; (quality-adjusted) life-expectancy / Costs per averted DALY / Lifetime costs; lifetime QALYs / Lifetime costs; QALYs gained / Lifetime costs; life years gained; QALYs gained / Lifetime costs; life-years gained; QALYs gained
Time horizon / Lifetime / 100 years / Lifetime / Lifetime / 85 years / Lifetime
Quantification of uncertainty / One-way sensitivity analysis; multi-way sampling across a range of input parameter sets; scenario analyses. / Univariate sensitivity analyses / Univariate, multivariate, probabilistic sensitivity analyses / One-way and multivariate sensitivity analyses / Univariable sensitivity analysis; threshold analysis / Probabilistic sensitivity analysis; threshold analysis