Key Principles for the Improved Conduct of Health Technology Assessments for Resource Allocation Decisions
This document outlines 15 key principles to help improve how health technology assessments (HTAs) are conducted when they are used to make decisions about funding or covering health technologies, like drugs or treatments. It focuses on making sure assessments are well-structured, use strong methods, follow clear processes, and directly support real-world decisions.
At a glance
Use when
Establishing a new HTA program linked to funding decisions,Evaluating the quality and relevance of existing HTA processes,Aligning HTA methods with policy decision needs
Avoid when
Conducting a single clinical trial evaluation,Performing a narrow literature review without decision context,When only technical performance of a device is under assessment
Inputs
Health technology assessment programs or proposals linked to resource allocation decisions
Outputs
Framework of 15 principles to evaluate or establish HTA activities
How it works
The guideline proposes fifteen principles organized into four sections: (i) Structure of HTA programs, (ii) Methods of HTA, (iii) Processes for Conduct of HTA, and (iv) Use of HTAs in Decision Making. These principles support HTAs that inform specific resource allocation decisions, emphasizing economic evaluation (costs and benefits) and the explicit linkage between assessment and subsequent decision-making. Examples are drawn from existing HTA programs.
- HTA domains
- Clinical Effectiveness, Costs & Economic Evaluation, Organisational aspects
- Assumptions
- HTA should directly inform resource allocation decisions; economic evaluation is essential when technologies compete for limited resources; transparency and stakeholder involvement improve decision legitimacy
- Strengths
- Comprehensive coverage across structure, methods, process, and decision use; grounded in real-world HTA examples; promotes accountability and transparency in decision-linked assessments
- Limitations
- Does not provide detailed methodological guidance for specific analyses; focused on system-level HTA programs rather than individual study techniques
Questions this answers
- › What makes an HTA useful for real-world funding decisions?
- › How should HTA programs be structured to support decision-making?
- › What methods ensure robust economic evaluation in HTA?
- › How can the process of conducting HTA be standardized and transparent?
- › How can HTA findings be effectively linked to actual coverage or reimbursement decisions?
- › What organizational features support credible and impactful HTA activities?
References & sources
Similar by meaning
- Principles for Deliberative Processes in HTA
- Analytical framework for determinants of HTA recommendations
- A Handbook and a Toolkit for Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment
- IMPACT-HTA multicriteria value framework
- Designing and Implementing Deliberative Processes for HTA: A Good Practices Report of a Joint HTAi/ISPOR Task Force
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