History of Health Technology Assessment in Iran

This article describes the characteristics of the health system and reviews the history of health technology assessment (HTA) in Iran, including its inception, processes, challenges, and lessons learned. This study was conducted by analyzing existing documents, reports, and guidelines related to HTA and published articles in the field. HTA in Iran has been established since the late 2000s and was first introduced as a secretariat by the Deputy of Health at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. The mission of the HTA office is to systematically assess technologies to improve evidence-informed decision making. Despite its 10 years of existence, HTA in Iran still faces some challenges. The most pressing problems currently facing HTA in Iran include conflicts of interest among researchers performing the HTAs, the absence of a systematic structure for identifying and introducing new technologies, the lack of interest in HTA results among high-level policy makers, and the lack of external oversight for HTA projects.