OP615 Implementing EUnetHTA Products: The Implementation Experiences In Italy

Abstract

Introduction

The Italian National Agency for Regional Health Services (AGENAS) participation in the European network (EUnetHTA) allowed capacity building and the spread of knowledge, tools and methodologies built by the network. In the latest Joint Action, AGENAS is implementing both EUnetHTA tools/methdologies and assessments. This was done both by the “adaptation” of most relevant EunetHTA assessments to Italian context or by “traslation” of EUnetHTA assessments’ Summeries. Language barriers have been highlighted from local HTA partners who aknowledged that contents written in italian could have a higher potential for dissemination.

Methods

To adapt a EUnetHTA report we evaluate if the PICOD fits our context with clinicians and stakeholders. We thus update systematic review and/or add other context specific domains. The EUnetHTA report summaries were translated into Italian and reviwed by clinicians. The HTA Core Model® was incorporated into national processes (Procedure Manual, HTA report templates, assessment elements, the Planned and On going Projects (POP) database was also used.

Results

Implementation of EUnetHTA's tools and products consisted of i) Production of national assessment reports based on EUnetHTA assessments; ii) Dissemination of EUnetHTA assessment iii) Translation of EUnetHTA assessments summaries and publication on Agenas website iv) Use of EUnetHTA POP Database for the national HTA programme; v) Embedment Integration of the EUnetHTA HTA Core Model®

Conclusions

The use of the Core Model® allowed a better standardisation of AGENAS' outputs. The Assessement Element based structure assists authors with the choices of relevant research questions; and the Domain-based structure allowed an efficient division of work among the authors. The use of the Core Model® among European partners faciliated the adaptation of other national HTA reports to our context. The adaptation and translation of EUneHTA assessments provides more homogenous choices among Italian regions and European countries, and so does the use of the POP database as a source of information about technologies that are on other EU Countries agenda.