HTA delays an issue for policymakers

There is understandable tension in the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process between the need to do rigorous scientific analysis and the needs of policy advisors and decision makers to get answers quickly, Secretary General of the Department of Health Michael Scanlan told an international conference in Dublin this week.
The event, HTAi 2010 – Maximising the Value of Health Technology Assessment, took place between June 6 and 9 at the RDS in Dublin. Hosted by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the conference saw more than 1,100 delegates attend from 48 countries.

Opened by Minister for Health Mary Harney, the conference looked at the value of HTAs in making decisions about medicines and treatments while ensuring value for money. However, HTAs were not always just about new drugs and new therapies, Harney said. “It is about providing services more effectively within the resources that are available.” HTA advice on PET scanning would, for example, ensure it is used correctly and in appropriate locations, Ms Harney added.
Dr Máirín Ryan, Director of HTA, said in increasingly challenging economic conditions, budgets for new treatments were being subjected to more scrutiny than ever before. “The role of HTA in making the best use of healthcare resources to increase the benefits to patients is more important than ever,” she stated.