title: INTRODUCTION OF INNOVATIVE MEDICAL DEVICES AT FRENCH UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS: AN OVERVIEW OF HOSPITAL-BASED HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT INITIATIVES.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Local health technology assessment (HTA) to determine whether new health technologies should be adopted is now a common practice in many healthcare organizations worldwide. However, little is known about hospital-based HTA activities in France. The objective of this study was to explore hospital-based HTA activities in French university hospitals and to provide a picture of organizational approaches to the assessment of new and innovative medical devices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen semi-structured interviews with hospital pharmacists were conducted from October 2012 to April 2013. Six topics were discussed in depth: (i) the nature of the institution concerned; (ii) activities relating to innovative medical devices; (iii) the technology assessment and decision-making process; (iv) the methodology for technology assessment; (v) factors likely to influence decisions and (vi) suggestions for improving the current process. The interview data were coded, collated and analyzed statistically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three major types of hospital-based HTA processes were identified: medical device committees, innovation committees, and "pharmacy & management" processes. HTA units had been set up to support medical device and innovation committees for technology assessment. Slow decision making was the main limitation to both these committee-based approaches. As an alternative, "pharmacy & management" processes emerged as a means of rapidly obtaining a formal assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides an overview of hospital-based HTA initiatives in France. We hope that it will help to promote hospital-based HTA activities in France and discussions about ways to improve and harmonize practices, through the development of national guidelines and/or a French mini-HTA tool, for example.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department,Georges Pompidou European Hospital,AP-HP,Paris,France Pharmacoeconomics Research Unit,Faculty of Pharmacy,University Paris-Sudnicolas.martelli@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department,Georges Pompidou European Hospital,AP-HP.
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Billaux
authors.affiliation: Pharmacoeconomics Research Unit,Faculty of Pharmacy,University Paris-Sud.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Borget
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department,Georges Pompidou European Hospital,AP-HP.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pineau
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department,Georges Pompidou European Hospital,AP-HP.
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prognon
authors.affiliation: Pharmacoeconomics Research Unit,Faculty of Pharmacy,University Paris-Sud.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van den Brink
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration; D003657:Decision Making; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards
keywords: Hospital-based HTA; Innovation; Medical device; Mini-HTA