Health Technology Assessment in Vietnam: Currant Situation and Future Direction

Abstract

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is defined as a multidisciplinary process involving a wide range of capacities that summarizes information about the characteristics, short- and long-term effects and/or impacts of health technologies and interventions (1) . HTA can also be understood as a method for assessing and analyzing medical, epidemiological, sociological, and economic aspects of health technologies and interventions (including drugs, vaccines, medical supplies, medical equipment, medical services, and public health interventions, etc.). HTA has been recognized by The World Health Organization (WHO) as a tool for successful progression toward universal health coverage (UHC) (2) . In Vietnam, given constraints in health budget, especially the shortage of health insurance fund, HTA has been being increasingly important. According to the statistics by Vietnam Social Security, drugs account for a huge portion of total health insurance expenditures, accounting for 61.6%, 41%, and 34% in 2010, 2016, and 2017. In this context, containing the drug costs and promoting efficient use the health insurance fund is considered as important task. In other words, HTA should be used as a tool for developing the list of drugs covered by health insurance, as well as payment conditions and rates.