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The link between health technology assessment and decision making for the allocation of health resources in Latin America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2020

Andrés Pichon-Riviere*
Affiliation:
Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS‐CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Federico Augustovski
Affiliation:
Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS‐CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sebastián García Martí
Affiliation:
Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS‐CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Verónica Alfie
Affiliation:
Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS‐CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Laura Sampietro-Colom
Affiliation:
Unidad de Evaluación Innovaciones y Nuevas Tecnologías, Dirección Investigación & Innovación, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
*
Author for correspondence: Andrés Pichon-Riviere, E-mail: apichon@iecs.org.ar

Abstract

Objective

One of the good practice principles for health technology assessment (HTA) is having a clear link between the assessment and decision making. The objective of the 2019 Latin American Policy Forum (LatamPF) of Health Technology Assessment International was to explore different models of connection between HTA and decision making and to discuss the potential applicability of such models in Latin America.

Methods

This paper is based on a background document and the deliberations of the members of the LatamPF (fifty-four participants from twelve countries) where a design-thinking methodology was used.

Results

The participants agreed that insufficient links between HTA and decision making undermine the legitimacy of decisions, expose the HTA process to excessive political and judicial influence, and promote the exclusion of some stakeholders from participating in the assessment process and decision making. High priority aspects of the HTA process that could feasibly be improved and which hold the greatest potential to generate positive changes in the health systems in the region were identified. The majority of these aspects were associated with the appropriate institutionalization of HTA, a greater degree of participation by different stakeholders, and improved transparency in the HTA process.

Conclusions

The LatamPF identified barriers and recommended actions to strengthen the link between HTA and decision making. Participants emphasized that there is now a window of opportunity in the region as many societal actors see this as a priority. For this reason, health system stakeholders must take this opportunity to increase efforts toward strengthening the link between HTA and decision making.

Type
Policy
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2020

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