Lifecycle HTA: Promising applications and a framework for implementation

The 2022 Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Global Policy Forum (GPF) established the goal of developing a position statement and framework for lifecycle HTA (LC-HTA), through a Task Force leveraging multi-stakeholder monthly discussions and GPF member input. The Task Force developed a working definition: LC-HTA is a systematic process utilizing sequential HTA activities to inform decision-making where the evidence base, the health technology itself, or the context in which it is applied, has a potential to meaningfully change at different points in its lifecycle. Four key scenarios were identified where it was considered that an LC-HTA approach would add sufficient value to HTA bodies and their key stakeholders to justify the additional resource burden. Based on the four scenarios, a high-level LC-HTA framework was developed consisting of 1) defining the decision problem, 2) sequencing of HTA activities, and 3) developing optimization criteria. Subsequently, the Task Force developed operationalization guidance for LC-HTA in a companion paper.