Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

Course objectives/ Learning outcomes:

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a tool that is being increasingly employed to guide coverage decisions in most high- and middle-income countries. HTA and its methodologies allow a critical assessment of health technologies as the basis for making evidence-based decisions, potentially contributing appropriate use of technologies, efficiency and good value for money of investments in the health care industry.

This course will explore the concepts, processes and methods behind Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and their applicability in developing countries. Students will understand the role of HTA in health care systems (particularly in relation to defining benefit baskets for coverage) and familiarise themselves with the methods underpinning HTA report production.

Content:

• Introduction to the course and to HTA (including group exercise)
• Using HTA to determine benefit baskets (including focus on hospital HTA)
• Guest lecture on the health care industry
• Determining the status of a health technology and principles of prioritization
• Prioritization simulation exercise (lecturers provide technology factsheets)
• Evaluation of clinical elements

• Evaluation of economic elements

• Ethical, social, organizational and legal aspects: Introduction and class exercise
• Using existing HTA reports: quality and transferability
• Group assignment: applying knowledge gained to individual technologies, i.e. preparing "mini-HTA" (+presentation)

Exams

Mid-term (40%): homework, group presentation, written exam

Final (60%): written exam covering theory taught during the week and transfer questions with applicability to the Ghanaian context.

Grading system

1. Busse R, Orvain J, Velasco M, Perleth M, Drummond M, Gürtner F, Jørgensen T, Jovell A, Malone J, Rüther A, Wild C (2002). Best practice in undertaking and reporting HTA. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 18(2): 361-422
2. Velasco Garrido M, Børlum Kristensen F, Palmhøj Nielsen C, Busse R (2008). Health technology assessment and health policy-making in Europe – Current status, challenges and potential. WHO Regional Office for Europe
3. Drummond MF, Schwartz JS, Jönsson B, Luce BR, Neumann PJ, Siebert U, Sullivan SD (2008). Key principles for the improved conduct of health technology assessments for resource allocation decisions. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 24(3):244-58.
4. WHO (2015). 2015 Global Survey on Health Technology Assessment by National Authorities. Main findings. Geneva, World Health Organization.
5. EUnetHTA (2018). HTA Core Model®. Available from: https://www.eunethta.eu/hta-core-model/

Additional readings will be provided during the course