Evolving Use of Health Technology Assessment in Medical Device Procurement—Global Systematic Review: An ISPOR Special Interest Group Report.

To review the current academic evidence describing how data from health technology assessments (HTAs) informs procurement decisions for medical devices. A systematic literature review was performed to identify relevant studies and criteria used in medical device purchasing or procurement decisions. Included articles were screened for relevancy and risk of bias. The included studies were summarized qualitatively. A total of 292 studies were screened, of which 11 matched the inclusion criteria. Included studies' geographies and HTA maturity varied. Some studies described hospital-level HTA processes, whereas others focused on national-level recommendations. Criteria for procurement decisions included standard HTA factors, such as efficacy, cost, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact; broader issues were also noted, including impact on the organization, ethical aspects, staff workload, and volume. There was little consideration of device-specific characteristics, such as life cycle, learning curve, or incremental technical innovation. Few decisions referred to HTA reports as part of the procurement decision; similarly, few HTA reports included a procurement perspective to help guide the procurement bodies. There is minimal evidence that notes HTA influencing medical device procurement. Procurement bodies and hospitals may not be incentivized to publish their work and transparency could be improved; further research would better describe the link between HTA and procurement. Such research would enable the HTA agencies to meaningfully assess devices to target procurement bodies and allow device sponsors to prioritize evidence. This could limit redundancy, improve evidence, and ultimately promote savings to healthcare systems and expand access. • Limited evidence exists regarding how health technology assessment (HTA) (at national, regional or hospital level) informs medical device procurement. • Our systematic review identified 11 studies that have assessed different approaches to use HTA in procurement. Some focused on national-level HTA, whereas others described the establishment of hospital HTA processes to inform decision making at a local level. • A key inference is that procurement bodies may not be incentivized to publish their decision-making processes, hence the lack of available evidence. We propose further transparency and research to establish key information used in procurement and to ensure that HTA processes adequately address these needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]