Health Technology Assessment Special Interest Group
In October 2024, Lymphoma Coalition (LC) hosted an afternoon workshop for Members of the Health Technology Assessment Special Interest Group (HTA SIG) in Rome, Italy. The 2024 workshop was attended by HTA SIG Members from 13 countries, namely: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Portugal, The Netherlands and Slovakia.
The workshop explored several areas of interest including:
- A deep discussion on how to conduct a research analysis to help determine what constitutes good research, how to interpret complex data used in research articles, what patients and patient organisations might need to better understand research findings, and the need to better understand research specific terminology and language used in most studies.
- A comparative case study of HTA appraisals and processes to better understand how different countries approach HTA and the variances in factors such as treatment comparisons, cost comparators, reimbursements and pricing models, transparent reporting, as well as country specific variables in financing.
- The increased use of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) in HTA recommendations across countries, how different countries are leveraging RWD/RWE in HTA in addition to some related factors such as data quality, methods for data collection and reporting, and the application of RWD/RWE data to support decision-making.
- The risks, benefits and opportunities that artificial intelligence (AI) might present in relation to HTA, and what the future might hold if/when AI methods or practices are introduced into HTA processes.
During the 2024 HTA SIG Workshop, we learned:
To view the 2024 HTA SIG Workshop slide deck:
Health Technology Assessment: Similarities and Differences in Mechanisms, Systems and Processes across 27 Countries
In the lymphoma treatment landscape, new therapies and emerging biotherapeutic products are transforming cancer care and treatment. Health technology assessment (HTA) systems for medicines and other health technologies differs across countries and regions. There are opportunities and challenges for HTA systems, mechanisms, and processes to become more efficient and promote greater involvement of patient organisations in HTA.
- Patient involvement in HTA helps to ensure the patients’ perspective on the value of technologies is considered however, patient organisations are often resource constrained. Patient organisations are often expected to collect and incorporate evidence for HTA submissions that best reflects their respective patient community, including patient experiences and unmet needs. This data is not usually readily available and there is an added cost in securing it in a validated, credible manner. Additionally, the collection and analysis of data involves a unique skillset that may not be available in the local patient organisation.
- Involving health care professionals and scientific societies in HTA processes is key as they bring valuable expertise and insights on the impact of health technologies. In many countries, scientific societies are engaged in the HTA process to provide input to assessments and reporting, as well as contribute to public health information and the evaluation of the impact of health technologies on care pathways.
Rare diseases affect millions of people worldwide. There are more than 80 different indolent and aggressive lymphoma subtypes, each with different diagnostic evaluation, treatment protocols, characteristics, indications, sub-populations, and outcomes. Many countries have prioritised rare diseases in their national health agendas or rare disease plans to address the unmet needs of patients in the rare disease space and promote research, improve access, and increase awareness.
The report, Health Technology Assessment Similarities and Differences in Mechanisms, Systems and Processes across 27 Countries is available for download in both A4 and letter size file format below.
