HTA Implementation Roadmap in Central and Eastern European Countries.

Area of Science:

• Health Policy
• Health Economics
• Health Technology Assessment

Background:

• Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries experience greater opportunity costs from suboptimal health policies compared to Western European (WE) nations.
• Poorer population health and constrained healthcare resources in CEE countries exacerbate the impact of inefficient health policy decisions.
• Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is crucial for improving resource allocation in healthcare, yet its implementation roadmap is unclear in many CEE countries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To delineate primary health technology assessment (HTA) implementation scenarios within Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.
• To identify and summarize critical considerations for HTA adoption in CEE nations.
• To address key questions regarding capacity building, research funding, organizational structures, methodological standardization, data utilization, scope, decision criteria, and international collaboration in HTA.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive analysis of HTA implementation scenarios in CEE countries.
• Synthesis of critical questions and considerations for HTA adoption, drawing from regional experiences.
• Exploration of factors influencing the transferability of HTA roadmaps across CEE nations.

Main Results:

• HTA implementation strategies in CEE countries offer relevant examples for nations with similar contexts.
• Significant questions persist regarding capacity building, financing, organizational structures, and methodological standardization for HTA.
• The effective use of local data, defining the scope of mandatory HTA, establishing decision criteria, and fostering international collaboration are key challenges.

Conclusions:

• While regional HTA strategies provide valuable insights, universal transferability is limited.
• Country-specific factors including size, GDP per capita, social values, public health priorities, and healthcare financing fragmentation must be considered for effective HTA roadmaps.
• Tailored approaches are essential for successful HTA implementation and improved allocative efficiency in CEE healthcare systems.