Living health technology assessments: how close to living reality?

Introduction Healthcare decision-makers are exploring more responsive, innovative processes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a ‘living’ approach to health technology assessment (HTA).1 Even before the pandemic, the use of real-world data (RWD) and the advent of mobile and digital health technologies were transforming HTA decision making.2 These developments coincided with a broad recognition that keeping pace with rapid publication of new evidence and variation/inefficiencies in review can lead to HTA decisions based on out-of-date evidence.3 These challenges hinder timely patient access to promising, innovative health technologies when decision-makers are asked to accept higher uncertainty in the evidence base, especially in populations with substantial unmet need.4 More reactive and flexible ‘living’ approaches to HTA should be explored. This commentary outlines challenges of current, ‘static’ HTA approaches, offers solutions provided by a ‘living’ HTA approach, and considers implementation of...
Source: Evidence-Based Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Open access EBM opinion and debate Source Type: research