A Competency Framework for Health Technology Assessment Expertise: Results From a Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Health Technology Assessment (HTA)
• Professional Competencies
• Global Health Policy

Background:

• Health Technology Assessment (HTA) professionals require defined competencies for effective training and capacity building.
• Existing frameworks needed updating to reflect current HTA practice and emerging domains.
• International consensus is crucial for standardized competency development in HTA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define new competencies and competency domains for HTA professionals.
• To establish competencies across three distinct levels of expertise (competent, proficient, expert).
• To achieve international consensus on competency descriptions using a Delphi approach.

Main Methods:

• An existing competency framework was updated with new domains and competencies.
• A two-round Delphi survey involving international panelists was conducted.
• Consensus was built on the relevance and descriptions of competencies and domains.

Main Results:

• Consensus was reached on most competencies, including those related to Environmental aspects and Artificial Intelligence in HTA.
• Specific competencies, such as those concerning performance and achievements, required further refinement.
• The second Delphi round confirmed the stability of competency descriptions compared to the first.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive competency framework for HTA professionals at competent, proficient, and expert levels was successfully developed.
• The framework supports capacity building at individual, organizational, and environmental levels.
• This standardized framework can enhance the quality and consistency of HTA globally.