Methodological Paper Health Technology Assessment methodology: An overview and example of its potential use in the field of Primary Care Psychological Therapies in the NHS

Abstract

Content & FocusThis paper introduces the concept of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) as an available research tool to examine the cost-effectiveness and impact of therapeutic interventions on clients’ quality of life. It encourages practitioners to think about how they can use HTA concepts to analyse and present their own clinical outcomes as a means to justify continuing to provide services within the Primary Care Sector as it morphs into its new funding format. This paper aims to describe HTA methodology and how it is used internationally in evidence-based health care practice. The paper aims to give a staged explanation of the phases of the assessment process and their rationale. It aims to consider the strengths and weaknesses of utilising HTAs in general, alongside considerations of future developments in HTA in the field of psychological therapy.ConclusionHTA is undertaken via systematic staged methodology of 10 phases. HTA’s key strength is the high level of external and internal validity of its findings. The weaknesses of HTA include that report findings can have a variable impact on commissioners, policy makers, practitioners and clients; due in part to the choice of dissemination method and also that HTAs can quickly become out of date. Finally, examples are given as to how HTA processes could be used to specifically research and report on Primary Care Psychological Therapy provision in the NHS. It could assist both commissioners and practitioners with making sense of new systems such as Any Qualified Provider and Payment By Results.