Toolkit for assessing the transferability of evidence across contexts
This toolkit helps decision-makers evaluate how well health technology assessment evidence from one setting can be applied to another, especially when resources or systems differ. It guides users in assessing whether a health technology will work in their local context by looking at organizational, economic, and social factors.
At a glance
Use when
Adapting HTA evidence from high-income to low- or middle-income countries; when local HTA capacity is limited; when implementing technologies in different organizational or cultural contexts
Avoid when
Local context is vastly different with no reliable adaptation pathway; when primary data collection is feasible and preferred; when the original HTA is of poor quality or outdated
Inputs
Contextual data from source and target settings (e.g., organizational structure, resource availability, epidemiological profiles, health system characteristics)
Outputs
Assessment of transferability across HTA domains, identification of adaptation needs, and recommendations for local applicability
How it works
The toolkit supports the systematic assessment of contextual factors influencing the transferability of health technology assessments (HTAs), particularly across diverse settings including low- and middle-income countries. It follows the standard HTA process but adds structured steps to evaluate applicability, quality, and adaptability of evidence across domains. It enables adaptation of HTA parameters to local contexts and supports evidence-informed decision-making where local HTA capacity is limited.
- Project
- IMPACT HTA
- Funding
- Horizon 2020
- Project status
- Completed 2021
- HTA domains
- Organisational aspects
- Categories
- Context & Implementation
- Technology
- Non-specific
- Assumptions
- Evidence from one context can be meaningfully adapted to another; key contextual differences can be identified and addressed; local decision-makers have access to some HTA evidence
- Strengths
- Reduces duplication of HTA efforts; supports use of existing evidence in resource-limited settings; covers multiple HTA domains; promotes systematic consideration of context
- Limitations
- May require expert judgment to interpret contextual differences; limited empirical validation in low-resource settings; most tools focus on economic evaluations, with fewer addressing broader HTA aspects
- Also known as
- Transferability Assessment Toolkit
Questions this answers
- › Can this health technology work in my hospital or country?
- › What local factors might affect how well this technology works?
- › How do I adapt evidence from another country to my setting?
- › What parts of a health technology assessment are most sensitive to context changes?
- › How can I use existing HTA evidence without repeating the full assessment?
- › What should I consider when applying foreign evidence to my population or health system?
References & sources
- websitealtems.shinyapps.io ↗
- paperDOI: 10.1017/s026646232200321x ↗
- deliverableec.europa.eu ↗
Similar by meaning
Beta record. Generated from the primary source via AI extraction and independent audit, pending final human review.