The role of HTA in access to innovation

The process through which the reimbursement policy is being constructed is dependent on the results the HTA system reveals. In other words, HTA provides decision-support to reimbursement policy.

Given the fact that reimbursement policy:

directly affects patients, physicians and hospitals;
is connected to other areas of health care and pharmaceutical policy and;
is dependent on the healthcare innovation process.

It would not be possible to talk about the role HTA has in the innovation process without taking into consideration the elements which influence the reimbursement policy.

In other words, the role HTA has in the innovation process is guarranteed by:

the fact that an efficient HTA process eliminates the arbitrary pricing & reimbursement decisions; this process facilitates linking pricing & reimbursement decisions to objective criteria;
the advantage HTA has in establishing an efficient todo list concerning specific matters: assigning institutional and individual responsibilities, deadlines during the pricing & reimbursement process;
the fact that the results a HTA system, once made public, can assure transparency, which can be translated into a more accesible way through which information can be accessible and traceable;
the efficiency through which HTA systems can facilitate the standardizing of the process through which prices and reimbursement are being established.

Plus, HTA can influence any other part of the healthcare system

HTA covers the means and techniques through which medicine is being created, health care is being conducted, together with care interventions. Therefore, since HTA approaches every level of the healthcare system, it is obvious HTA drives change or, better said, HTA is essential in healthcare innovation.

PHRO/PSY/0617/0002f