title: Practical tools and methods for health technology assessment in Europe: structures, methodologies, and tools developed by the European Network for Health Technology Assessment, EUnetHTA.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article presents an overview of the practical methods and tools to support transnational Health Technology Assessment (HTA) that were developed and pilot tested by the European network for HTA (EUnetHTA), which involved a total of sixty-four Partner organizations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The methods differ according to scope and purpose of each of the tools developed. They included, for example, literature reviews, surveys, Delphi and consensus methods, workshops, pilot tests, and internal/public consultation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Practical results include an HTA Core Model and a Handbook on the use of the model, two pilot examples of HTA core information, an HTA Adaptation Toolkit for taking existing reports into new settings, a book about HTA and health policy making in Europe, a newsletter providing structured information about emerging/new technologies, an interactive Web-based tool to share information about monitoring activities for emerging/new technologies, and a Handbook on HTA capacity building for Member States with limited institutionalization of HTA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tools provide high-quality information and methodological frameworks for HTA that facilitate preparation of HTA documentation, and sharing of information in and across national or regional systems. The tools will be used and further tested by partners in the EUnetHTA Collaboration aiming to (i) help reduce unnecessary duplication of HTA activities, (ii) develop and promote good practice in HTA methods and processes, (iii) share what can be shared, (iv) facilitate local adaptation of HTA information, (v) improve the links between health policy and HTA.
authors.affiliation: National Board of Health, Copenhagen, Denmark and University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, DK 5000, Denmark. fbk@sst.dk
authors.forename: Finn Børlum
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lampe
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Chase
authors.forename: Sun Hae
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee-Robin
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.forename: Montse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moharra
authors.forename: Marcial Velasco
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: Camilla Palmhøj
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: John-Arne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Røttingen
authors.forename: Susanna Allgurin
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Neikter
authors.forename: Marie Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bistrup
mesh_terms: D057191:Capacity Building; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003697:Delphi Technique; D005060:Europe; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006291:Health Policy; D007391:International Cooperation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011050:Policy Making; D012107:Research Design; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D012952:Societies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration