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BackgroundThe Egyptian healthcare system is currently in the early phase of health technology assessment (HTA) implementation. The aim of this study is to propose an implementation roadmap based on the national healthcare system status.MethodsA survey was conducted among Egyptian healthcare sector decision-makers to assess the current and future (preferred) HTA implementation status in Egypt based on a widely used international scorecard methodology. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with experts representing middle- and top-tier management in the Egyptian healthcare system to interpret the survey results and recommend specific actions.ResultsExperts recommended more capacity-building programs for HTA and health economics. Additionally, they proposed establishing HTA units in separate healthcare authorities and merging them into a single central HTA unit in the long term. Regarding the scope of implementation, experts recommended commencing with the assessment of innovative pharmaceuticals, and thereafter, expanding the scope to cover all health technologies in the long term. Additionally, they recommended using innovative tools such as “multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)” for tendering, and “managed entry agreements” for reimbursement decisions. Local burden of diseases and costing studies were also recommended to facilitate the implementation of HTA.ConclusionExperts agreed that several actions are required for successful HTA implementation in Egypt, including coordination between HTA bodies, application of an explicit MCDA framework, and strengthening of local evidence generation. To implement these actions, investment in technical capacity-building is indispensable. Most experts favored using multiple and soft cost-effectiveness thresholds. Efforts should be made to publish HTA submission guidelines and timelines of the processes.

IntroductionImplementation of health technology assessment (HTA) is still in an early stage with some heterogeneity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Our objective was to assess the current and future status of HTA implementation in the MENA region by focusing on regional commonalities.MethodsPreparatory discussions for the first ISPOR conference in the MENA region indicated some potentially generalizable trends of HTA roadmaps. To widen the perspective, a policy survey was conducted among conference participants by applying an HTA implementation scorecard. Discussion group members helped to validate key conclusions during and after the conference.ResultsHealth policy experts in MENA countries would like to facilitate HTA implementation and expect significant changes with some generalizable directions in 10 years compared to the current status according. HTA capacity building has to be strengthened by more graduate and postgraduate programs. Increased public budget and enhanced institutionalization are necessary success factors of HTA implementation. The scope of HTA has to be extended from pharmaceuticals to non-pharmaceutical technologies and to revision of previous policy decisions. Although cost-effectiveness with explicit threshold remains the most preferred HTA criterion, several other criteria have to be considered, maybe even by applying an explicit MCDA framework. The role of local evidence and data has to be strengthened in MENA countries, which translates to the extended use of local patient registries and payers' databases. Duplication of efforts can be reduced if international collaboration is integrated into national HTA implementation.DiscussionOur results should be viewed as an initial step in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on HTA implementation. Each MENA country should develop its context-specific HTA roadmap, as such roadmaps are not transferable without taking into account country size, economic status, public health priorities and adopted systems of health care financing.

Introduction: Implementation of health technology assessment (HTA) is still in an early stage with some heterogeneity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Our objective was to assess the current and future status of HTA implementation in the MENA region by focusing on regional commonalities. Methods: Preparatory discussions for the first ISPOR conference in the MENA region indicated some potentially generalizable trends of HTA roadmaps. To widen the perspective, a policy survey was conducted among conference participants by applying an HTA implementation scorecard. Discussion group members helped to validate key conclusions during and after the conference. Results: Health policy experts in MENA countries would like to facilitate HTA implementation and expect significant changes with some generalizable directions in 10 years compared to the current status according. HTA capacity building has to be strengthened by more graduate and postgraduate programs. Increased public budget and enhanced institutionalization are necessary success factors of HTA implementation. The scope of HTA has to be extended from pharmaceuticals to non-pharmaceutical technologies and to revision of previous policy decisions. Although cost-effectiveness with explicit threshold remains the most preferred HTA criterion, several other criteria have to be considered, maybe even by applying an explicit MCDA framework. The role of local evidence and data has to be strengthened in MENA countries, which translates to the extended use of local patient registries and payers' databases. Duplication of efforts can be reduced if international collaboration is integrated into national HTA implementation. Discussion: Our results should be viewed as an initial step in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on HTA implementation. Each MENA country should develop its context-specific HTA roadmap, as such roadmaps are not transferable without taking into account country size, economic status, public health priorities and adopted systems of health care financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The need for improving healthcare decision making by implementing health technology assessment (HTA) has been a top priority in Ukraine since 2016. This study sought to provide a tailor-made HTA implementation roadmap, drawing on insights from national stakeholders.Methods: We conducted a survey using a questionnaire already applied in previous HTA research. We assessed the status of HTA when reforms were initiated in 2016 and examined perspectives on possible future developments among policy makers and representatives of pharmaceutical companies and patient organizations.Results: Thirty-two respondents answered the survey. Forty-eight percent of respondents were not aware of HTA training in Ukraine, but 91 percent preferred having either a graduate or postgraduate training. Experts stated that funding for HTA research and for critical appraisal of HTA submissions was limited, but in the future, they would increase funding mainly from public sources. A public HTA agency with academic support was the most preferred organizational structure. Eighty-eight percent of respondents opted for full transparency, making the HTA agency's recommendations and the related appraisal reports publicly available. A great majority of participants preferred mandating the use of local data in certain categories and indicated the importance of evaluating the transferability of international evidence. Healthcare priority and cost-effectiveness were the most important criteria for decisions, applied with a soft explicit threshold.Conclusions: Ukraine is in the early phase of implementing HTA and our study provides a clear vision of national stakeholders about the future directions. In addition, learning from the experiences of other countries may help the implementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To provide an overview about the current status of health technology assessment (HTA) implementation in Latin American countries and to identify long-term objectives considering regional commonalities. Methods We conducted a survey among participants of the 5th Latin American Future Trends Conference in October 2015. Thirty-seven respondents from eight Latin American countries provided insights about the current and preferred future status of HTA implementation related to human capacity building, HTA financing, process and organizational structure for HTA, scope of mandatory HTA, decision criteria, standardization of HTA methodology, mandating the use of local data, and international collaboration in HTA. Results Survey respondents reported insufficient human resources and public investment for HTA implementation. Organizational structure and legislation framework of HTA differ considerably across countries. According to survey respondents, in the future policymakers should rely more on the assessment of therapeutic value, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact criteria by applying explicit thresholds, potentially in a multicriteria decision analysis framework. HTA should not be restricted to policy decisions of new technologies but it should also be used for the revision of previous decisions. In addition, the quality and transparency of HTA have to be strengthened. Conclusions HTA plays an increasingly important role in Latin American countries. Each country needs to record its current implementation status and identify components for improvement. Duplication of efforts can be reduced if international collaboration is integrated into national HTA implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze and present the current state of the implementation of health technology assessment (HTA) in Slovenia, identify its advantages and challenges, as well as potential improvements and developments. Methods: The HTA structure and processes were analyzed and comprehensively described according to relevant literature, official documents, and experiences of the author. Results: The important steps in the development and implementation of an HTA system are presented through eight key elements: capacity building; HTA funding; HTA legislation and organizational structure; the scope of HTA implementation; decision criteria; quality, timelines, and transparency of HTA implementation; use of local data; and international collaboration. Based on the current situation, possible further developments are presented. Conclusions: Currently, there is no systematic HTA in Slovenia; however, some basic use of HTA principles can be found in the decision making. The biggest deficiency in the HTA field is the lack of knowledge and systematic implementation. Legislation and guidelines for study appraisals are needed at decision-making levels. HTA principles across health technologies need to be unified along with a central HTA coordination office being set up to lead and establish priorities for HTA work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our objectives were to assess the current implementation of health technology assessment (HTA) in Hungary and to identify country-specific patterns of challenges and potential improvements. Methods: We applied a structure that can be used to create HTA implementation roadmaps to evaluate various issues regarding HTA implementation. A comprehensive description of the Hungarian HTA system is presented according to relevant literature and experiences of the authors. Results: By investigating eight components of HTA implementation, we identified the most important strengths and weaknesses of the Hungarian system. More specifically, we were mainly focusing on the emergence of HTA capacity, the establishment and current role of Department of HTA, the complex process of decision making, the quality elements developed in the near past, and the activity of Hungarian experts at international collaborations. Conclusions: We concluded that there is a sophisticated methodological and educational basis for HTA in Hungary. A permanent focus on capacity building and changes to the reimbursement procedure can further improve transparency and the scientific basis of decision making in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opportunity cost of inappropriate health policy decisions is greater in Central and Eastern European (CEE) compared with Western European (WE) countries because of poorer population health and more limited healthcare resources. Application of health technology assessment (HTA) prior to healthcare financing decisions can improve the allocative efficiency of scarce resources. However, few CEE countries have a clear roadmap for HTA implementation. Examples from high-income countries may not be directly relevant, as CEE countries cannot allocate so much financial and human resources for substantiating policy decisions with evidence. Our objective was to describe the main HTA implementation scenarios in CEE countries and summarize the most important questions related to capacity building, financing HTA research, process and organizational structure for HTA, standardization of HTA methodology, use of local data, scope of mandatory HTA, decision criteria, and international collaboration in HTA. Although HTA implementation strategies from the region can be relevant examples for other CEE countries with similar cultural environment and economic status, HTA roadmaps are not still fully transferable without taking into account country-specific aspects, such as country size, gross domestic product per capita, major social values, public health priorities, and fragmentation of healthcare financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Egyptian healthcare system is currently in the early phase of health technology assessment (HTA) implementation. The aim of this study is to propose an implementation roadmap based on the national healthcare system status., Methods: A survey was conducted among Egyptian healthcare sector decision-makers to assess the current and future (preferred) HTA implementation status in Egypt based on a widely used international scorecard methodology. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with experts representing middle- and top-tier management in the Egyptian healthcare system to interpret the survey results and recommend specific actions., Results: Experts recommended more capacity-building programs for HTA and health economics. Additionally, they proposed establishing HTA units in separate healthcare authorities and merging them into a single central HTA unit in the long term. Regarding the scope of implementation, experts recommended commencing with the assessment of innovative pharmaceuticals, and thereafter, expanding the scope to cover all health technologies in the long term. Additionally, they recommended using innovative tools such as "multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)" for tendering, and "managed entry agreements" for reimbursement decisions. Local burden of diseases and costing studies were also recommended to facilitate the implementation of HTA., Conclusion: Experts agreed that several actions are required for successful HTA implementation in Egypt, including coordination between HTA bodies, application of an explicit MCDA framework, and strengthening of local evidence generation. To implement these actions, investment in technical capacity-building is indispensable. Most experts favored using multiple and soft cost-effectiveness thresholds. Efforts should be made to publish HTA submission guidelines and timelines of the processes., Competing Interests: Syreon Middle East was a contractual partner of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson Egypt and Takeda Pharmaceuticals Egypt. Authors AF, SAba, and ZK are shareholders of Syreon Middle East. Author BE is an employee in Syreon Middle East. Author HD is an employee at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson Egypt and author RA is an employee at Takeda Pharmaceuticals Egypt. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Fasseeh, Elezbawy, Gamal, Seyam, Abourawash, George, Anwar, Amin, Khalifa, Elshalakani, Hatem, Abdelhamid, Elsamouly, Fasseeh, Adel, Dawood, Abaza and Kaló.)

Abstract: Objectives: Middle-income countries often have no clear roadmap for implementation of health technology assessment (HTA) in policy decisions. Examples from high-income countries may not be relevant, as lower income countries cannot allocate so much financial and human resources for substantiating policy decisions with evidence. Therefore, HTA implementation roadmaps from other smaller-size, lower-income countries can be more relevant examples for countries with similar cultural environment and economic status. Methods: We reviewed the capacity building process for HTA implementation in Hungary with special focus on the role of ISPOR Hungary Chapter. Results: HTA implementation in Hungary started with capacity building at universities with the support of the World Bank in the mid 90's, followed by the publication of methodological guidelines for conducting health economic evaluations in 2002. The Hungarian Health Economics Association (META) - established in 2003 - has been recognized as a driving force of HTA implementation. META became the official regional ISPOR Chapter of Hungary in 2007. In 2004 the National Health Insurance Fund Administration made the cost-effectiveness and budget impact criteria compulsory prior to granting reimbursement to new pharmaceuticals. An Office of Health Technology Assessment was established for the critical appraisal of economic evaluations submitted by pharmaceutical manufacturers. In 2010 multicriteria decision analysis was introduced for new hospital technologies. Conclusion: The economic crisis may create an opportunity to further strengthen the evidence base of health care decision-making in Hungary. In the forthcoming period ISPOR Hungary Chapter may play an even more crucial role in improving the standards of HTA implementation and facilitating international collaboration with other CEE countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze and present the current state of the implementation of health technology assessment (HTA) in Slovenia, identify its advantages and challenges, as well as potential improvements and developments., Methods: The HTA structure and processes were analyzed and comprehensively described according to relevant literature, official documents, and experiences of the author., Results: The important steps in the development and implementation of an HTA system are presented through eight key elements: capacity building; HTA funding; HTA legislation and organizational structure; the scope of HTA implementation; decision criteria; quality, timelines, and transparency of HTA implementation; use of local data; and international collaboration. Based on the current situation, possible further developments are presented., Conclusions: Currently, there is no systematic HTA in Slovenia; however, some basic use of HTA principles can be found in the decision making. The biggest deficiency in the HTA field is the lack of knowledge and systematic implementation. Legislation and guidelines for study appraisals are needed at decision-making levels. HTA principles across health technologies need to be unified along with a central HTA coordination office being set up to lead and establish priorities for HTA work.