Health technology assessment (HTA) is a critical part of healthcare decision making in many countries. Changes in Methods and Processes (M&P) of HTA agencies can affect the time and degree of patient access to treatments. Published literature focuses on the different M&P adopted by HTA agencies, rather than on how these have come about over time. Our study investigates key HTA reforms and explores their drivers and interdependencies in a set of HTA agencies in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and North America.

We conducted a targeted literature review on M&P guidelines and subsequent changes to those, for 14 HTA agencies. We supplemented and validated initial findings with 29 semi-structured interviews with country-specific experts. We used analytical tools to create process maps, proactivity and influence networks, and clusters of HTA agencies.

We found that processes leading to M&P reforms follow similar steps across HTA agencies. The three most important drivers to reforms were HTA practice and guidelines in other countries; the healthcare policy, legal, and political context within the agency’s country; and experience of challenges in the assessment by the HTA body itself. International collaborations have the potential to accelerate the evolution of HTA systems and the implementation of reforms.

We identified PBAC (Australia), CDA-AMC (Canada), NICE (England), IQWiG (Germany), and ZIN (the Netherlands) as HTA agencies that are catalysts of HTA reforms as well as internationally influential. International collaborations may represent a useful route to accelerate changes as long as they ensure wide stakeholder engagement at an early stage.

Health technology assessment (HTA) reports are written for healthcare decision makers, particularly in relation to reimbursement/pricing, and are intended to assess clinical effectiveness, safety, and cost. Four additional domains are further considered in what is called a “full HTA”: ethical, legal, social, and organizational aspects. The ethical aspects have long been the subject of debate regarding how they should be processed. It would be important if the following questions could be answered: Who publishes full HTA reports and how? Which methods are used in the ethics domain? What kind of results do they produce? However, such a “mapping of the field” turns out to be difficult. Despite the existence of international HTA registers, we were not able to compile a comprehensive sample of full HTA reports. Therefore, the aim of our study was rather to explore a) substantially: Which information can be expected to be (easily) found, which can only be obtained with considerable effort, and which remain (for the time being) in the dark? And b) methodologically: Is it possible to do meaningful meta-research in this field?

In the attempt to explore the possibilities of meta-research, we were able to track down and analyze thirty-nine full HTA reports from six countries.

While not representative of the whole field, this analysis shows the possibilities and challenges to meta-research, but nonetheless also provides some substantial insight into the characteristics of such reports, with a particular focus on the methods used to process ethical aspects.

Effective allocation of scarce healthcare resources involves complex ethical and technical evaluations, with decision makers sometimes utilizing a societal perspective in health technology assessment (HTA). This study aimed to explore societal perspectives on healthcare resource allocation within Australia’s HTA framework, focusing on the valuation of health gains for children and young people (CYP) compared to adults.

In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with ten young people (aged 15–17) and twenty adults between October 2021 and April 2022. Participants were purposively sampled for diverse characteristics and completed an online information survey prior to the interviews, introducing relevant concepts. Interviews were analyzed using inductive coding, categorization, and constant comparison.

Participants expressed nuanced perspectives on HTA processes, generally opposing numeric weighting and preferring a deliberative approach based on committee judgment. Although most participants acknowledged some moral relevance of CYP status in HTA, opinions varied on its operationalization. A sizable minority, including those with extensive health system experience, did not view CYP status as morally relevant, though some noted specific service gaps for CYP (e.g., mental health care, pain management). Participants identified a spectrum of factors, both person-centered and intervention related, that often surpassed the relevance of CYP status, including addressing severity, unmet needs, prevention, and early intervention, with an emphasis on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Our findings highlight the inherent challenges in navigating the complexities of HTA and the critical need for HTA frameworks to be adaptable and inclusive, effectively integrating societal preferences to enhance healthcare policy’s equity and responsiveness.

As Ethiopia advances towards efficient resource utilization and UHC through strategic health purchasing, the institutionalization of HTA will play a critical role. This study aims to identify key stakeholders, analyze the political economy surrounding HTA and priority setting in Ethiopia, and assess existing skills and capacities for a robust and sustainable HTA system.

We employed a mixed-method approach, combining 16 key informant interviews, 24 document reviews, and a cross-sectional survey (n=65) to assess national HTA capacity. We employed the Walt and Gilson policy analysis triangle framework, alongside Campos and Reich’s framework, to evaluate the context, process, content, and actors influencing HTA institutionalization, and to explore the complex interplay of institutions, positions, power, and interests among various stakeholders.

While there is a general commitment to implementing HTA across various government agencies and stakeholder groups, the institutionalization process faces several challenges, involving multiple agencies with overlapping mandates, raises bureaucratic challenges and potential conflicts, risking horizontal fragmentation as agencies compete for authority, budget, and influence. The involvement of other key stakeholders, such as professional associations, patients, and the public, is notably lacking. Challenges such as limited HTA expertise, high professional turnover, and gaps in specific HTA knowledge areas persist, with capacity-building efforts often failing to address organizational needs effectively.

The complexity of HTA institutionalization in Ethiopia underscores the necessity of managing intricate inter-agency dynamics, establishing a robust legal framework for an inclusive and transparent HTA process, building local capacity, and securing sustainable, domestically aligned funding.

To provide an overview of learning strategies that health technology assessment (HTA) agencies use worldwide to educate laypeople about HTA.

A scoping review focused on learning strategies to educate laypeople about HTA using the Joanna Briggs Institute frameworks was conducted across databases and gray literature. The study reviewed qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies from four databases, including practice documents from the HTA and health organization websites.

Fifteen studies were included in this review. The United Kingdom, Spain, and Canada mainly contributed to knowledge about educating laypeople in HTA. The main strategies employed were conference-like events, educational materials, training, and plain language. International HTA and health agencies developed courses, online training, and guidance materials to increase laypeople’s participation in the HTA process.

Efforts to improve public involvement in HTA focus on structured consultations, digital platforms, and capacity-building to enhance accessibility. Strategies like workshops and plain language aim to encourage lay participation, but challenges such as technical complexity and limited resources persist. Despite these challenges, incorporating patient perspectives has increased research relevance and public trust. Future studies should examine standardized frameworks for involvement, the impact of lay participation on policy, and solutions to barriers to a more equitable HTA process.