Expert assessment of the state and problems of implementation of health technology assessment in Ukraine

Abstract

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is widely used worldwide as a transparent tool for determining the value of both new and existing medical technologies (MTs), including drugs, medical devices, vaccines, and other interventions. The use of the independent expertise results allows to make reasonable decisions on the feasibility of using the medicinal products (market authorization, inclusion in protocols and relevant regulatory lists), as well as pricing, reimbursement and procurement. HTA affects the access and affordability of MTs, thereby contributing to the efficiency of medical care and the rational use of resources. In our opinion, the limited use of НТА in Ukraine is primarily due to the low level of awareness of the professional community about НТА and its role in providing decision support at various levels of government. An expert survey was conducted to study the current state, problems, and prospects for the development of НТА in Ukraine. There were 77 respondents who were divided into three groups (developers, users, and informed persons) according to the level of involvement in the НТА sphere. According to the survey results, more than half of the respondents consider OMT as a professional expert activity related to the preparation of high-level evidence. The rest of the respondents classify HTA as a field of scientific research that is currently not sufficiently integrated into practical health care and decision-making. The majority of respondents see the main purpose of the HTA as identifying the safest medical technologies with proven efficacy and economic feasibility for inclusion in standards and regulatory lists. Among the main problems of HTA development at the current stage, experts identify the following: lack of a formed professional environment, insufficient awareness of potential stakeholders, unresolved issue of using HTA results, especially at the level of healthcare facilities. At the same time, a comparison of the survey results with the data of previous studies shows an increase in awareness and understanding of the importance of implementing HTA in medical and pharmaceutical practice at different levels of government. To improve the implementation of HTA in the national practice of health care, it is proposed to strengthen the educational and informational component and ensure the publicity of the processes and use of HTA results in decision-making at the state, regional and local levels.