TOWARD A SHIFTING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PARADIGM: REACTIONS TO POLICY FORUM DISCUSSIONS

Are we in a period of significant change? Is health technology assessment (HTA) undergoing a fundamental transformation? Or should it be? Are we in the middle of a paradigm shift? These are some of the questions the paper by Facey et al in this journal (1) raises about the future of HTA, based on discussions at the HTAi Policy Forum in February 2015. To further share the deliberations of the Forum and with a view to opening this debate among the wider HTA community, a panel within the HTAi 2015 Annual Meeting in Oslo was organized. Presentations at the panel included a summary of the HTAi Policy Forum deliberations and perspectives from a patient, a clinician, and representatives of an HTA organization, industry, and a health system. This letter presents issues and thoughts raised in the panel session.