OP39 Adapting HTA To Suit Emerging Needs - An Australian Experience

Abstract

IntroductionAustralia has a well-developed HTA system for approving, funding and disinvesting in medical services, but how does it cope when it assesses new or existing services when health system frameworks, policy and legislation do not keep pace? This presentation will present a number of case studies where HTA methods have adapted to suit emerging health needs of the Australian community.MethodsAustralia's HTA system has been adapted over recent years to allow it to perform HTA on novel services that do not fit into its standard HTA pathway to public funding. There has also been an increasing number of assessments where HTA has been unusually sponsored by the funder to assess priority health care needs.ResultsMore Medicare funding for addiction and sexual health consultation services are an example of a novel HTA which led to more public funding for these services. Limited evidence for these services was available and there was difficulty in demonstrating that increased public funding would lead to better outcomes for patients. A range of techniques, such as examining real world data and stakeholder views were partnered with HTA to assess these services. Currently, HTA is being utilised to assess a novel medical treatment known as the anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapeutic process. This is a complex, non-standard HTA which encompasses aspects of the Australian hospital funding system, Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and requires an adapted HTA process to assess evidence across a range of funder systems.ConclusionsAustralia's well established HTA system has adapted to become more agile to suit emerging health care needs for a range of interest groups, the government, sponsors and consumers. Consultation with stakeholders and the community have assisted in developing and refining these new processes.