Health Technology Assessment: conceptual framework and international perspective

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The increasing concerns of nations to improve efficiency, access and quality of health care, have encouraged a more appropriate use of health interventions. Thus, the interest of clinicians and decision-makers has shifted towards evidence-based medicine, comparative effectiveness research and health technology assessment (HTA). Although these concepts should not be understood as synonyms, they converge on common characteristics: a systematic approach to evidence, the focus on relevant outcomes for the patient, and the notion that policy-making for a group of patients will affect others. As a consequence, concerns not only involve efficiency and effectiveness, but also transparency, clinical practice and opportunity costs. This paper introduces the concept and processes of HTA in the first and second sections. Section three reviews the evolution of HTA in developed and Latin-American countries, analyzing the aspects that influence the structure and scope of HTA. The last section concludes with reflections on the challenges to implement HTA in Chile.