Health technology assessment (HTA) is a process that evaluates new health technologies from a societal perspective. These assessments help decision-makers and the public determine whether a new health technology offers benefits that outweigh its risks, costs, and other implications for society. Health technology assessments are a popular type of research. They are useful in informing decisions about the safe, cost-effective use of health technologies.
They’re also something that many medical writers aren’t very familiar with. That’s understandable, especially if you don’t work in health economics or market access. But, HTAs do play a key role in medicine. Independent research groups often review new technologies and devices before recommendations for widespread use by healthcare providers and patients alike.
In this article, you will learn about HTA, different types of studies, how to write an HTA study and many more!
In this article:
- What Is Health Technology Assessment?
- Examples of Health Technology Assessments
- How to Write a Health Technology Assessment
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What Is Health Technology Assessment?
Health technology assessments are studies designed to evaluate new health technologies to determine if they’re safe and cost-effective. Health technologies are tools that can affect a person’s health.
There are many different types of technologies, including devices, drugs, procedures, and health services. In a health technology assessment, health professionals examine a new health technology to see if it is safe, effective, and cost-effective. Health technology assessments are used in many different settings.
For example, public health agencies and government officials might use them to decide whether to recommend a certain health technology for use in their community. Companies might use them as part of their research and development process to see if a new technology is safe and cost-effective. Health technology assessments are also used by researchers to see if a new technology is worth investing in or should be abandoned.
Examples of Health Technology Assessments
These assessments help decision-makers and the public determine whether new health technologies offer benefits that outweigh their risks, costs, and other implications for society.
- Drug effectiveness studies: Drug effectiveness studies evaluate new drugs’ benefits, risks, and effectiveness. These types of studies are generally conducted before a drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drug effectiveness studies help determine if a drug is safe and effective for its targeted use. They can also help inform the amount of drug needed to be prescribed as well as potential side effects and risks.
- Device safety studies: Device safety studies assess the risks and potential harms associated with new devices. These types of studies are typically conducted before a device is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Device safety studies help determine if a device is safe and effective for its targeted use. They can also help to inform the amount of harm that might occur from the device.
- Health service delivery studies: Health service delivery studies examine the effectiveness of new health services. These types of studies are generally conducted before a new health service is implemented.
How to Write a Health Technology Assessment
Health technology assessments are meant to be a thorough and objective analysis of a technology and its potential benefits and harms. Because it’s an assessment, there are certain standards you should adhere to while conducting research and writing the report.
1: Know Your Objective:
The first step in writing an HTA is knowing what you want to achieve. This will determine the overall direction of your research and how you collect and analyse data. You might have a specific outcome you want to see from your HTA. Or, you might simply want a better understanding of new technologies.
Whichever it is, make sure you know it going into the research.
2. Choose the Appropriate Study Design:
The study design you choose for your HTA will affect the outcome and how your study is conducted. You may want to go with a randomized control trial (RCT) design. But, you may also have to go with a case study design, a Delphi study, an expert panel, a survey, or another method.
The study design you choose will affect the overall outcome of your HTA and what comes out of the report. Make sure you choose the right one for your HTA.
3. Conduct the Appropriate Research:
The design and study design you chose will also affect the research you conduct. You might want to conduct a systematic review, a meta-analysis with statistical models, a literature review, a cost-effectiveness study, a cost-benefit analysis, or another method. Choose the one that is most appropriate for your HTA.
4. Addressing Key Social, Ethical, and Legal Issues:
The study design, research methods, and data you choose should also address key social, ethical, and legal issues.
Conclusion
Health technology assessments are studies designed to evaluate new health technologies to determine if they’re safe and cost-effective. Health technology assessments are used in many different settings.
For example, public health agencies and government officials might use them to decide whether to recommend a certain health technology for use in their community. Companies might use them as part of their research and development process. This is often to see if a new technology is safe and cost-effective. Researchers might also use health technology assessments to see if a new technology is worth investing in or should be abandoned.
