Values in doing assessments of healthcare technologies Erasmus Project

Project Title

Values in doing assessments of healthcare technologies

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Open and distance learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal)

Project Summary

Context and background of the project:

For a rational use of healthcare technologies, their potential value and impact need to be explored. Health Technology Assessment (HTA) provides a systematic evaluation of the properties and (in)direct effects of healthcare technologies to inform decision making. Currently, HTA involves the assessment of safety, clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, and sometimes ethical, legal, organisational and social issues associated with healthcare technologies. These issues are addressed separately from each other as distinct and potentially relevant aspects that need to be taken into account in determining the value of healthcare technology. A limitation of this approach is that it draws a sharp distinction between empirical inquiry on the one hand, and normative inquiry on the other. Such distinction cannot, however, be sustained. The relevance of empirical inquiry into different aspects of healthcare technologies, such as its safety and effectiveness, is derived from a commitment to certain values (e.g. avoiding harm). At the same time, normative inquiry, for instance asking whether a particular treatment respects a patient’s autonomy, necessarily draws on acquaintance with relevant facts. Hence, a new approach towards HTA is needed, one that allows for integration of empirical analysis and normative inquiry. This approach should help the new generation of HTA practitioners to explain to a wider audience how normative commitments give rise to specific empirical inquiry. By explicitly placing empirical inquiry in the context of normative commitments, the VALIDATE approach also offers a means to involve all relevant stakeholders in HTA in a more structural and effective way, i.e. from the start. For students of HTA, it means that they need to familiarize themselves more deeply with concepts and methods that have been developed in the fields of policy sciences and ethics

The objectives of the VALIDATE project were to develop a new approach towards HTA which allows for the integration of empirical analysis and normative inquiry, developing associated teaching materials and providing opportunities for internships to apply the approach in HTA practice. To this end, a consensus statement was developed, defining the sort of knowledge and skills that are required to conduct this novel type of integrative HTA. Based on the consensus statement, an e-learning course and handbook were developed to educate HTA practitioners in conducting an integrative HTA. Students who successfully completed the e-learning course were offered the opportunity to practice their newly obtained knowledge and skills in internships. Experiences and learning achievements of students were captured in order to further improve the format and content of the teaching materials.

Number and profile of participants:

Master students, PhD candidates and young professionals in HTA participated by testing and completing the e-learning course, providing feedback on the handbook, and conducting internship projects offered by the partner institutes. In total, 60 participants from 12 different European countries were enrolled in the e-learning course. Twelve participants, from 4 different European countries, completed an internship project. During workshops and panel sessions at the annual meeting of HTAi, over 500 experts from the HTA community (e.g. students, policy makers, HTA researchers, clinicians, industry and patient representatives) were introduced to VALIDATE.

Results and impact:

All project objectives have been achieved. A consensus statement was developed and published on the project website. Based on this statement, a completely new e-learning course on integrative HTA has been developed, containing text, videos, intermediate assignments, a discussion board, and a final assignment. The e-learning course is freely available on the project website, and has been reviewed and accredited by HTA international (HTAi), the global professional society of HTA. In addition, a handbook containing eight chapters, addressing different aspects of an integrative approach towards HTA has been written and published on the project website. In total, four scientific papers on the VALIDATE project have been submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Finally, the VALIDATE project has been presented at various international meetings.

Longer-term benefits:

The project results will remain freely available at the project website. Ultimately, these outputs should result in a shift in people’s thinking about the added value of HTA. This would mean a shift from a strong focus on clinical effectiveness and health economics towards an inquiry that brings more clearly the underlying values into view and that admits for a more constructive role for stakeholders in the process. Clearly, for such a shift to take place, more time and sustained efforts are needed. The VALIDATE consortium is committed to continue making those efforts.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 372430 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stichting Radboud Universiteit & Country: NL

Project Partners

• ECORYS NEDERLAND BV
• LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITET
• Turkiye Cumhuriyeti Saglik Bakanligi
• UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM
• FUNDACIO CLINIC PER A LA RECERCA BIOMEDICA
• DEPARTAMENTO DE SALUD GOBIERNO VASCO
• UNIVERSITA CATTOLICA DEL SACRO CUORE