OP71 PriTec Tool 2: Adaptation For Selection Of Technologies To Be Assessed For Inclusion Into The Health Care System

Abstract

Introduction

The PriTec Tool is an automatically executable multicriteria web application developed in 2009 by the Galician Health Knowledge Agency (avalia-t; ACIS) for the prioritization of technologies susceptible of post-introduction observation or obsolescence. Currently, the tool has been updated and improved to support the selection process of technologies to be assessed for inclusion into the National Public Health Care Portfolio. The aim of this work is to present the updated version of the tool (PriTec Tool 2) with the new functionalities.

Methods

The development of the tool was based on a mixed-method approach, comprising a systematic review, followed by a five-step process: (i) development of the preliminary proposal of prioritization criteria and domains; (ii) contextualization and validation of the criteria and domains by a multidisciplinary group of key stakeholders; (iii) assessment of validity, reliability and suitability of criteria; (iv) weighting of domains; and (v) evaluation of applicability, reliability and reproducibility of the tool.

Results

The tool consists of 15 criteria categorized in 5 domains. The web application ranks the technologies through automatic computation of the weighted average of the different criteria and generates a comparative analysis of the individual or working group results. The application allows access to different options: working groups, case studies or technology comparison. It allows for individual prioritizations or managing working groups. When applied to prioritize the Spanish Network of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Agencies yearly workplan it achieved an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.71 (95% confidence interval 0.62, 0.88).

Conclusions

The updated PriTec Tool-2 can be very useful to guide decision-making regarding the assessments that would be mostly needed to ensure health, equity and sustainability. The tool stands out for its simplicity and ease of application. It is acknowledged that the tool could be of great interest to policy makers, HTA bodies and other health decision-makers worldwide.