An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will conduct an independent review of a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) draft monograph related to health economic outcomes of a clinical trial that examined the efficacy of service dogs versus emotional support dogs in mitigating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Veterans. Specifically, the committee will review Monograph No. 2, which reports the comparative results of health care utilization data and other health economic benefits of the trial and analyzes the cost-effectiveness of providing service dogs versus emotional support dogs, along with suggested pricing benchmarks at the population level of service dogs for Veterans with PTSD. The committee will prepare a consensus report that critiques the monograph and addresses the following questions:

-- Are the research design and methods well documented, scientifically rigorous, and do they offer reasonable approaches to answer the research questions?

-- Does the data analysis systematically apply appropriate statistical and sound reasoning techniques to evaluate the health economic data or cost effectiveness and price benchmarking for the provision of service dogs and emotional support dogs for Veterans with PTSD?

-- Do the findings thoroughly report the data analysis and provide factual and objective answers to the research questions?

-- Do the findings present original scholarship and discuss principal outcomes of primary research with reliable credibility in a factual and objective way in relation to the research question and existing knowledge?

-- Does the draft monograph provide a coherent and cohesive written account and description of the main messages that are important to communicate?

-- Does the draft monograph provide, clear, appropriate and accurate graphics of the research results?

-- What other significant improvements, if any, might be made in the draft monograph?

The consensus report for the monograph will be subject to the National Academies' external peer review process. Subsequent revisions of the monograph by the VA may also be reviewed by the Committee using the above criteria. These additional reviews may result in an additional consensus report or statement that will also be subject to peer review.
At the conclusion of the committee’s review process of the monograph, a statement of completion of review will be provided to the VA, indicating the committee’s assessment of whether the monograph is consistent with accepted scientific principles.