Key Principles for Health Technology Assessment: Turning Principles into Practice

Health technology assessment (HTA) is a dynamic and evolving process, embracing different types of assessments that inform real-world decisions about the value, i.e., benefits, risks, and costs, of new drugs and technologies. In Asian-Pacific countries, the demand for HTA is increasing. Based on the existing experience with HTA worldwide, key principles for HTA are proposed, focusing on:

• Governance and structure of the HTA programs
• Methods
• Processes for conducting HTAs
• Use of HTA in decision making.

During this educational symposium, Dr. Sullivan will present the context and key HTA principles.  Panelists will also discuss the extent to which the key principles are relevant, comprehensive and pragmatic.  The audience is also encouraged to provide input on the proposed principles.

Biologics in Asia-Pacific - New Frontiers in Health Technology Assessment  

While offering significant benefits, biologic therapies for rheumatologic disease present new challenges for healthcare systems in Asia-Pacific.

This symposium will offer insights into how cost-effectiveness has been assessed in other parts of the world and will examine the burden of disease in rheumatoid arthritis, including the burden of co-morbidities.

The symposium will consider appropriate methodology for evaluating these new and innovative medicines and ways that constrained health budgets can appropriately address new technologies.

Turn Right or Left? – China Health Care Reform at a Crossroad
Presented in Chinese with Korean and English Translation

The health care reform in China is close to a decisive moment. Current health care service, which is considered to be "expensive & difficult to access" by the general public, has aroused more and more debates within the public and become one of the top social issues. In response to this challenge, the Chinese government plans to launch a new round of health care reforms in 2009. 

How does China plan to win this intricate and knotty campaign and achieve the ultimate goal to provide a universal coverage to all 1.3 billion Chinese citizens?

We invite you to join us in a symposium to share the current trend and progress of health care reform in China with three top Chinese scholars. The aim of this symposium is to try to provide a comprehensive understanding of the major challenges of this health care reform in China which is second to none in this world.