Prioritization for transferring health technology and health service innovations between health systems

Abstract

Background For a balanced evaluation of new technologies, it is important to assess if the wider health system supports their uptake, e.g. in terms of staffing requirements, views of patients, and legal arrangements. These contextual factors also make it difficult to predict if health technologies (or other innovative solutions) that are effective in one region or country can be transferred to another. Methods We will sare a number of research priorities, among others using insights from the Horizon 2020 funded TO-REACH initiative, a collaboration between funders and research groups in Europe, Canada, US and Israel. It aims to enhance funding for international comparative research around health policy and service innovations, based on: a) an analysis of knowledge gaps in the area of transferability, and b) an inventory of policy priorities for cross-border learning, among others using a European wide online consultation. Results Knowledge gaps relate to what aspects of context are important in the transfer of health service and policy innovations. How to predict which countries are in a favourable position to learn from each other? The inventory of policy priorities shows as overarching priority the move from disease-oriented to person- and population-centred care. To give leverage to this, a number of areas are instrumental, including how technology should be embedded in this new approach of health care provision. The inventory is still in progress and more detail will be provided, including the domains where shared learning between HTA and HSR is of high priority. Conclusions HTA and HSR have a common area of interest when it comes to understanding and predicting whether innovative solutions in one county can transfer to another. Too often, foreign solutions are championed without adequate evidence and insight in transferability. It is important that future research incorporates this, with a particular focus on those domains high on policy and practice agendas.