Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Fundamental to good decision-making for health technology assessment (HTA) is assurance that supporting evidence is based on valid and unbiased assessments. Validity assessment (risk of bias) tools are pivotal to informing good health policy. With a plethora of available options, selecting the tool best fit-for-purpose is challenging. Collaboration and harmonization to promote best practices in tool use across jurisdictions aligns with the European Union’s regulation on HTA (EU HTAR).
METHODS: The investigators have established the LATITUDES Network (https://www.latitudes-network.org/), a publicly available website library of validity assessment tools and resources to guide decision makers in selecting and applying tools appropriate for context, including informing HTA reimbursement decisions, clinical guideline development, and stand-alone evidence synthesis projects. The internationally representative leadership team is comprised of five, evidence synthesis experts who have been supported by a competitively awarded academic-innovations grant. The 23-member advisory panel representing five continents has leant expertise to finalizing criteria for tool inclusion, identifying of key tools, and suggesting inclusion of additional tools.
RESULTS: The LATITUDES Network indexes validity assessment tools developed for healthcare studies. To date, ten key tools and eighty-two additional tools have met all screening criteria and are profiled. Seven tools are currently under development. Citations, links to training materials, and a mechanism for users to suggest new tools are provided. The leadership team uses an online platform to streamline tool identification, evaluation and posting in an ongoing fashion. Members of the leadership team will provide a live demonstration.
CONCLUSIONS: LATITUDES aims to be the primary resource that provides key information to reviewers conducting validity assessments for HTA decision-making, clinical guideline development, and evidence synthesis. LATITUDES is intended to increase the robustness of evidence synthesis, helping scientists use tools more effectively and efficiently, promoting best practices, and harmonizing validity assessment across the globe.