Achieving Patient-Centered Value/Health Technology Assessment: Recommendations From a Multistakeholder eDelphi Panel

Area of Science:

• Health economics
• Health technology assessment
• Patient-centered outcomes research

Background:

• Traditional value/health technology assessment (V/HTA) methods were not designed for patient centricity.
• Existing guidelines lack comprehensive patient-centered approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify opportunities for guidance in patient-centered V/HTA.
• To develop consensus recommendations for methods and needs in patient-centered V/HTA.
• To address data inputs, results reporting, and future research priorities.

Main Methods:

• Conducted listening sessions with patient representatives to identify data priorities.
• Performed qualitative interviews with health economists to develop an eDelphi instrument.
• Utilized an eDelphi exercise with multistakeholder participants to reach consensus.

Main Results:

• Achieved consensus on 28 statements after two Delphi rounds.
• Identified a need for data reflecting broader patient-relevant impacts (healthcare and beyond).
• Emphasized the importance of patient input throughout the assessment process and plain-language reporting.

Conclusions:

• Multistakeholder consensus provides a foundation for advancing patient-centered V/HTA.
• Recommendations guide future methodological development in the field.
• Progressing patient-centered V/HTA is crucial for inclusive healthcare decision-making.