Practical tools and methods for health technology assessment in Europe: structures, methodologies, and tools developed by the European Network for Health Technology Assessment, EUnetHTA.
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.
Kristensen
Finn Børlum
FB
National Board of Health, Copenhagen, Denmark and University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, DK 5000, Denmark. fbk@sst.dk
Lampe
Kristian
K
Chase
Deborah L
DL
Lee-Robin
Sun Hae
SH
Wild
Claudia
C
Moharra
Montse
M
Garrido
Marcial Velasco
MV
Nielsen
Camilla Palmhøj
CP
Røttingen
John-Arne
JA
Neikter
Susanna Allgurin
SA
Bistrup
Marie Louise
ML
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