Guiding the process of health technology disinvestment.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a guideline for health technology disinvestment.


METHODS
The Nominal Group Technique was used to determine relevant aspects of disinvestment decision-making. Ideas reaching consensus and previous Spanish guidelines on the acquisition of new health technologies (GANT) and new genetic tests (GEN) structures were used to develop the domains and contents of GuNFT (Guideline for Not Funding Health Technologies). The draft was peer reviewed by local and international experts and their suggestions were incorporated to the first GuNFT version.


RESULTS
Thirty-five ideas reached consensus. The most relevant ones referred to the reasons for disinvesting in a technology and the key aspects that would facilitate disinvestment acceptance. Considering both consensus ideas and GANT and GEN guidelines, the first GuNFT draft was elaborated. After the review process, section numbers and contents were changed. The resulting GuNFT guideline was finally divided into six domains related to: (1) general preliminary recommendations, (2) completing the application form, (3) checking and prioritising applications, (4) assessment, (5) final decision and (6) action plan design. A software was also developed to facilitate GuNFT implementation.


CONCLUSIONS
Disinvestment should be a guided process. Accordingly, we present the first guideline for that purpose.
Ibargoyen-Roteta
Nora
N
Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment (Osteba), Department of Health and Consumer Affairs of the Basque Country, Olaguibel 38, 01004, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. n-ibargoyen@ej-gv.es
Gutiérrez-Ibarluzea
Iñaki
I
Asua
José
J
D020811:Biomedical Technology / Q000191:economics*; D032921:Consensus; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D007449:Investments / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013030:Spain; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical