HTA Policy and Methods Review
HTA Policy and Methods Review
The recent Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Review examined Australia’s current HTA system including its policy and methods. The Review supports the objectives of Australia’s National Medicines Policy and was one of the main commitments under the 2022-27 Strategic Agreement between the Commonwealth and Medicines Australia.
The Review worked with stakeholders to identify features of Australia’s current HTA system that are working effectively, and those that are acting as barriers to access. This was to ensure Australia continues to deliver equitable, timely, safe and affordable access to a high-quality and reliable supply of health technologies for all Australians.
Through extensive consultation with stakeholder, the Review developed recommendations which aim to:
Address inequalities in access.
Reduce how long it takes for medicines to be funded.
Improve engagement, making HTA processes simpler and easier for consumers and clinicians.
Invest in HTA capability to make it adaptable and futureproof.
Read the complete Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Policy and Methods Review report.
It is recommended the Enhanced Consumer Engagement Process be read alongside the HTA Policy and Methods Review.
What Happens Next: The Government will carefully consider the recommendations of these reports and will respond in due course.
The Enhanced Consumer Engagement Process
The co-design of an enhanced consumer engagement process was developed to provide recommendations on how to increase patient and consumer evidence and input earlier in the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process. The process emerged from a component of the 2022-27 Strategic Agreement between the Commonwealth and Medicines Australia.
A consumer-led multi-stakeholder Co-design Working Group (CWG) was established to develop recommendations. The final report was a result of broad consultation, representing a wide range of stakeholder groups. The report acknowledges the need to evolve HTA processes so that consumer engagement becomes embedded, and the inclusion of consumer evidence and input is integral to HTA deliberations.
Three interrelated themes underpin the recommendations of this report:
Partnerships across stakeholder groups to facilitate collaboration on elevating the consumer voice in HTA processes.
Transparency and clarity on HTA processes, supported by easily accessed, plain language information and pro-active notifications of HTA activities.
Evidence and input collected from consumers early in the health technology pathway for inclusion in HTA decision-making considerations.
The Enhanced Consumer Engagement Process report was released last night.
Read the report from the Enhanced Consumer Engagement Process.