Developing mini-HTA to support evidence-based decision making in the Norwegian health services

Health technology assessment (HTA) has become an essential tool for supporting evidence-based decision making in health care systems worldwide. Comprehensive HTA reports, however, are resource-intensive and time-consuming, making them impractical for many decisions that need to be made at the local or institutional level. This gap has led to the development of more pragmatic approaches that aim to balance methodological rigor with feasibility. In Norway, this challenge was addressed through the introduction of mini-HTA, which is a structured, simplified, and context-specific decision-support tool to inform local or institutional decisions about introducing new technologies, procedures, or organizational innovations. Mini-HTA provides a standardized framework for evaluating clinical effectiveness, safety, organizational impact, ethical considerations, and economic consequences while remaining feasible for clinicians and managers to apply in practice. Several key insights emerge from our experience with developing and implementing mini-HTA in Norway. First, adapting HTA approaches to local decision-making contexts increases feasibility and uptake, particularly where time and resources are limited. Second, governance structures, including clear allocation of responsibilities and leadership engagement, are crucial for the consistent use of mini-HTA in practice. Third, the Norwegian experience illustrates how a shared but flexible tool can be applied across different levels of care, including both hospitals and municipalities, while still allowing for contextual adaptation. Finally, the use of mini-HTA as a platform for collaboration across sectors highlights its potential not only as a decision-support tool, but also as a mechanism for coordinating priorities and responsibilities across organizational boundaries.