Abstract
BackgroundThis study examines, as a part of the European Union funded Adopting Hospital Based Health Technology Assessment (AdHopHTA) project, the results and barriers of collaboration between Finnish hospitals and the national health technology assessment (HTA) agency, Finohta. A joint collaborative HTA program has existed since 2006 between the Finnish hospitals and the national agency.MethodsA case study method was used. Information about the collaboration between Finnish hospitals and Finohta was retrieved from interviews and publications, and categorised per theme. Hypotheses and indicators of successful collaboration were determined beforehand and reflected on the observations from the interviews and literature.ResultsOverall, 48 collaborative HTA reports have been performed during 7 years of collaboration. However, there were no clear indications that the use of HTA information or the transparency of decision-making regarding new technologies would have increased in hospitals. The managerial commitment to incorporate HTAs into the decision-making processes in hospitals was still low. The quality of the collaborative HTA reports was considered good, but their applicability in the hospital setting limited. There were differing expectations about the timing and relevance of the content. Signs of role conflict and mistrust were observed.ConclusionsDespite collaborative efforts to produce HTAs for hospitals, the impact of HTA information on hospital decision-making appears to remain low. The difficulties identified in this case study, such as lack of managerial commitment in hospitals, can hopefully be better addressed in the future with the guidance and tools having been developed in the AdHopHTA project. Collaboration between hospitals and national HTA agencies remains important for the efficient sharing of skills and resources.
Highlights
This study examines, as a part of the European Union funded Adopting Hospital Based Health Technology Assessment (AdHopHTA) project, the results and barriers of collaboration between Finnish hospitals and the national health technology assessment (HTA) agency, Finnish Office for Health Technology Assessment (Finohta)
The informants were: four clinicians from Helsinki University Hospital who had been previously involved in Managed Uptake of Medical Methods (MUMM); four current or former employees of Finohta who had been active in MUMM; three external stakeholders who had worked for, or otherwise had close connections with, Finohta; and one lead person from the HTA unit of the Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea)
The aim was to increase the critical mass of people able to conduct evaluation research in Finnish hospitals
Summary
This study examines, as a part of the European Union funded Adopting Hospital Based Health Technology Assessment (AdHopHTA) project, the results and barriers of collaboration between Finnish hospitals and the national health technology assessment (HTA) agency, Finohta. A joint collaborative HTA program has existed since 2006 between the Finnish hospitals and the national agency. HTA performed in the hospital context is termed hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA). It is usually performed in hospitals, it can sometimes be outsourced to independent research bodies. The new technologies may replace or add on to existing technologies, which means that decision-makers need to know their value in relation to the current standard practice in their hospital. The information needs to be in place when implementation decisions are made in the hospital, which means that the assessment timelines are usually strict
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