The feasibility of harmonizing health technology assessments across jurisdictions: a case study of drug eluting stents.
OBJECTIVE
There is considerable interest in the potential for harmonizing health technology assessments (HTA) across jurisdictions. This study aims to consider four HTAs of drug eluting stents to determine the degree to which the methods adopted, evidence considered, and resulting recommendations diverge.


METHODS
Four HTAs of drug eluting stents were selected for inclusion and evaluated using a framework developed to systematically capture information on the process adopted, the evidence considered and the recommendations of each HTA.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that, although there is a common core data set considered by most of the agencies, differences in the approach to HTA, heterogeneity of studies, and the limited relevance of research findings to local practice meant that the core data set had only limited influence on the resulting recommendations. Of the HTA agencies considered in the analysis, many sought to generate additional primary research from local settings to help inform the development of recommendations that were relevant to local practice. This raises questions about the extent to which HTA methods can be harmonized across jurisdictions.
University of York, North Yorkshire, UK. pt507@york.ac.uk
Paul
P
Trueman
Manjusha
M
Hurry
Matthew
M
Bending
John
J
Hutton
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D012042:Registries; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards