Good Practices for Health Technology Assessment Guideline Development: A Report of the Health Technology Assessment International, HTAsiaLink, and ISPOR Special Task Force

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is an important tool used to support decision making for health expenditures. Guidelines for conducting and using HTA provide the key concepts, consistent and transparent methods, resulting in a decision-making process and enhanced evidence-based recommendations. Many countries around the world have been developing methods and process guidelines (see the GEAR online resource for a comprehensive repository for methods guidelines available). However, there was no prior guidance on how to go about developing one.

Thus, a collaborative effort between Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi), HTAsiaLink, and the Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) [SS1] came together to establish a task force comprising academics and experts across diverse geographies to provide strategic advice[SS2]  on the development of this good practice report.

The report emphasizes three key factors for successful HTA implementation: a systematic approach to assessing health technologies over their lifecycle, a well-defined process for appraising assessments, and a clear pathway for evidence-informed decisions in health policy. The report [SS3] provides practical guidance for developing or updating HTA guidelines outlining good practice across six domains, as follows:

1.      Setting objectives, scope, and principles of the guideline

The first domain highlights the importance of setting the objectives and scope of the HTA guideline amongst the stakeholders involved as it can be a point of reference throughout the guideline development process.

2.      Building the team for a quality guideline

In the HTA guideline development process, it is critical to build a team with project management skills and technical expertise to ensure quality guideline development, with oversight from an independent advisory group.

3.      Defining the stakeholder engagement plan

A stakeholder engagement plan that follows the objectives and scope of the HTA guideline and context in the target country is essential[SS4]  for developing a guideline.  Transparent communication and involvement of the end users of the guidelines should be considered.

4.      Developing content and utilizing available resources

Leveraging international HTA networks and contextualizing guidelines from other settings may be useful to draw insights and benchmark on new techniques or approaches.

5.      Putting in place appropriate institutional arrangements for implementation

Carefully selecting and assigning agencies or institutions with suitable authority and independence to oversee guideline implementation is crucial.

6.      Monitoring and evaluating guideline success

Defining success indicators for HTA guidelines, monitoring and evaluation should be linked to the objective and scope[SS5]  of the guideline itself which may include adherence, improvement of HTA quality due to the guideline use, and how the guideline is able to enhance systemic decision making.

The report also provides several case studies illustrating good practices in various countries such as South Africa, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Philippines and Thailand. To conclude, HTA guideline development is a dynamic process that requires careful consideration of local contexts, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with international best practices.

For a more detailed exploration of the report's findings and recommendations, you can access the full paper here (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39760423/)