title: Involving stakeholders and developing a policy for stakeholder involvement in the European network for health technology assessment, EUnetHTA.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article explains how the issue of stakeholder involvement was addressed in the European network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) Project and describes the structures of future stakeholder involvement in the EUnetHTA Collaboration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Initiatives led to a dialogue with stakeholders and exchanging views and expectations on health technology assessment (HTA) processes and the future development of EUnetHTA. The methods of involving different stakeholder groups in EUnetHTA included general information to stakeholders about EUnetHTA, targeted information on a Web site, analysis of stakeholder opinions on HTA and EUnetHTA, and development of a draft stakeholder policy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First steps were taken to organize processes to consolidate the legitimacy of EUnetHTA and its products and encourage the representation of interests, thus contributing to promoting the utilization of HTA in national/regional policy making. A stakeholder Web site, analyses of stakeholder opinions on HTA and EUnetHTA in a discussion topic catalog, and a draft stakeholder policy resulted from the work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stakeholder involvement in EUnetHTA is necessary to ensure the legitimacy and prospects for utilization of EUnetHTA and its products. The described activities and results create the foundation for a continued dialogue with, and involvement of, stakeholders. The EUnetHTA stakeholder meeting can be considered as a successful experience of dialogue between EUnetHTA and stakeholders, which should be continued. Our experience shows the challenge of obtaining balanced stakeholder representation across the identified stakeholder groups. Continued attention should be given to achieving balanced stakeholder representation.
authors.affiliation: National Board of Health, Copenhagen, Denmark and University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. cpn@sst.dk
authors.forename: Camilla Palmhøj
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Sarah Wadmann
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lauritsen
authors.forename: Finn Børlum
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: Marie Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bistrup
authors.forename: Americo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cecchetti
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turk
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D005060:Europe; D011050:Policy Making; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical