This document outlines an agenda and presentation for a workshop on cooperation between patients and health professionals in health technology assessment. The workshop objectives are to understand the HTA process, explore roles and possibilities for cooperation, and identify challenges and recommendations. The presentation provides an overview of HTA, including what is assessed, who needs HTA, and ways patients can be involved through consultation and participation. Attendees will then discuss roles and cooperation, challenges, and work in small groups to develop recommendations.

1. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and
Quality (CAHIAQ) (www.aatrm.net)
WORKSHOP
Cooperation between patients and
health professionals organizations in
Health Technology Assessment
Anna Kotzeva, MD, MPH
4th EPF Regional Advocacy Seminar
Bucharest, 27-28 of October, 2011

2. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
1. Introductions of the participants (all, 10 min)
2. Objectives of the workshop
3. Overview: HTA process (presentation, 15 min)
4. Questions and discussion (all, 15 min)
5. Generation of recommendations (small group work, 30
min)
6. Selection of recommendations to report (all, 15 min)
Agenda

3. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
 ARE YOU: Patient OR professional?
 DO YOU HAVE: Any knowledge of HTA process?
 DO YOU HAVE: Experience in HTA? In which way?
Introductions…

4. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
 To understand What is HTA and Why it is important to both
patient and health professional organizations
 To explore the Roles of patient and health professional
organizations in HTA and the Possibilities for cooperation
 To identify the challenges for and barriers to patients-
professionals cooperation in the HTA area
 To formulate workable recommendations to ensure effective
patients-professionals cooperation in this area
Objectives and expected outcomes of the workshop

5. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
Health Technologies???
 Devices or equipments
(ex: pacemaker, glucometer)
 Procedures (ex: laparoscopy)
 Diagnostic tests
 Drugs
 Prevention programs
(ex: flu vaccination)
 New way of provision of clinical practice
(ex: teledermatology)
Health Technology Assessment (HTA): Overview
Assessment
 Consequences (short and long-
term) of using a technology
 Multidisciplinary process that
summarizes information about
clinical, economic, social, and
ethical issues
 Systematic, transparent,
unbiased, robust methodology

6. World of
research
World of
decision-
making
HTA has been compared to a
Battista RN. London, BMJ Publishing Group, 1996

7. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
Provides information to support decision-making
about priorities in healthcare
or
specific decisions about whether new treatments
should be introduced
Why to do HTA?

8. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
 The assessment process and the way the assessment is used
varies from organization to organization
 It may be carried out to assess the available evidence to:
 simply better understand the clinical condition, or
 clarify the state of the art of the technology, or
 decide which treatments a healthcare system will pay for
 Scientific assessment – may be similar across settings
Appraisal – context-based, and may lead to different
decisions in different countries
How is HTA carried out?

9. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
 Does the technology work?
 What benefit does it provide and for whom?
 What does it cost (to the healthcare service, to the patient,
etc.), including opportunity costs (what could be gained if the
funds were spent on alternative healthcare strategies)?
 How does it compare in terms of efficiency with the available
alternatives?
 Does it work in this healthcare setting? Should we do it here?
If so, how should we do it? (context!!!)
Examples of questions

10. Who needs HTA?

11. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
 “Patient evidence” = experience-based knowledge on the
real effect of the illness AND of the treatment (health
technology) on all aspects of life
 HTA is similar to the process of taking decision on which
treatment to choose for particular patient
 Having knowledge on patient's needs and ensures better
adherence and the outcome of the treatment
Why patient experience is important?

12. The top
of the
iceberg
Introducing patients’ perspective to HTA could allow more
accurate assessment of the value of health technologies

13. The
iceberg

14. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
 Consultation: patients are approached to gather evidence
about their perspectives, experiences, or preferences about
technologies
 Participation: public or patient representatives participate in
different stages of the HTA process
 Prioritization of topics
 Scoping
 Evidence assessment
 Review
 Dissemination of findings
Types of public and patient involvement in HTA

15. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
Questions?
Discussion (all):
 Which must be the roles of patient and health
professional organizations in the process of HTA?
 How do you see the possibilities for cooperation?
 Do you expect any challenges for and barriers to
patients-professionals cooperation in the HTA area?

16. Catalan Agency for Health Information, Assessment and Quality (CAHIAQ)
Small group work (30 min)
Group 1: Recommendations for effective and meaningful
cooperation between patient and professional organizations
Group 2: Recommendations for overcoming potential barriers
and difficulties in the cooperation between patient and
professional organizations
Group 3: Recommendations for the role of the EPF in this
cooperation
Key messages and recommendations