How to choose health technologies to be assessed by HTA? A review of criteria for priority setting.
BACKGROUND
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) plays a key role in the policy and decision-making process. Nevertheless, it is time- and resource-consuming, and therefore requires proper resource allocation. Priority setting, as a best way to organize effective and explicit resource allocation systems, may be applied even in this field.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to provide an overview of criteria used for priority setting in HTA at European level.


METHODS
A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed through PubMed alongside consultation of the websites of the European HTA Agencies belonging to the INAHTA. The search was limited to papers written in English and provided with the full text. Documents were considered eligible if providing criteria for priority setting in HTA.


RESULTS
Seven scientific articles were retrieved from PubMed and 14 European HTA Agencies released prioritization criteria were analysed. The most relevant criteria were: frequency/burden of disease, economic impact and costs, potential benefits, impact on ethical, social, cultural and/or legal aspects.


CONCLUSIONS
This work is meant to contribute to supranational discussion on priority setting at European level and shows that, despite the available evidence, work still needs to be done toward harmonization and sharing of the criteria to adopt.
Istituto Sanità pubblica, Sezione Igiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
Maria Lucia
ML
Specchia
Istituto Sanità pubblica, Sezione Igiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
Marcella
M
Favale
Istituto Sanità pubblica, Sezione Igiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
Francesco
F
Di Nardo
Oxford University Hospital, John Radcliffe Stroke Unit, Headington, Oxford, UK.
Giovanna
G
Rotundo
Istituto Sanità pubblica, Sezione Igiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy. carlo.favaretti@rm.unicatt.it.|Coordinator of the HTA WG.
Carlo
C
Favaretti
Istituto Sanità pubblica, Sezione Igiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
Walter
W
Ricciardi
Istituto Sanità pubblica, Sezione Igiene, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
Chiara
C
de Waure
D020811:Biomedical Technology / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005060:Europe; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012922:Social Change; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration