Guidelines for Health Technology Assessment Ministry of Health Sultanate of Oman
Author(s)
Said Al Rashdi, BSc, MSc1, Asiya AL Kindi, BSc, MSc2, IBRAHIM AL RASHDI, BSc, MSc3, Adnan AL Qassabi, BSc, MSc4, Manal Al Ansari, BSc, MSc5, Safiya Al Muaini, BSc, MSc1, Sara Al Balushi, BSc, MSc1, Alia Al Suhaily, BSc, MSc1, Ahmad Fasseeh, PhD6, Zoltán Kaló, PhD7.
1Directorate general of medical supply, Ministry of Health - Oman, Muscat, Oman, 2Directorate general of medical supply, Minsitry Of Health Oman, Muscat, Oman, 3Drug Safety Center, Ministry of Health - Oman, MUSCAT, Oman, 4ROYAL HOSPITAL, Ministry of Health - Oman, Muscat, Oman, 5Directorate general of medical supply, Ministry of Health of Oman, Muscat, Oman, 6Syreon Middle East, Alexandria, Egypt, 7Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
1Directorate general of medical supply, Ministry of Health - Oman, Muscat, Oman, 2Directorate general of medical supply, Minsitry Of Health Oman, Muscat, Oman, 3Drug Safety Center, Ministry of Health - Oman, MUSCAT, Oman, 4ROYAL HOSPITAL, Ministry of Health - Oman, Muscat, Oman, 5Directorate general of medical supply, Ministry of Health of Oman, Muscat, Oman, 6Syreon Middle East, Alexandria, Egypt, 7Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
OBJECTIVES: Health Technology Assessment (HTA) plays a crucial role for optimal allocation of healthcare resources by providing decision-making, evidence-based information regarding healthcare technologies. Our intention was to create HTA methodological guidelines for Oman with the involvement of key stakeholders to facilitate consistency, transparency and robustness in appraisal process of health technologies.
METHODS: Guideline development included five steps: (1) learnings from international HTA guidelines; (2) multistakeholder workshop on key components of the Omani methodological guidelines; (3) survey to facilitate consensus on the most critical elements; (4) drafting of guidelines based on collected observations; and (5) validation through feedback from policy-makers and HTA experts.
RESULTS: The Omani HTA guidelines consists of six sections, including targeted indication, medical assessment, economic evaluation, budget impact analysis, social and ethical considerations, and transparency requirements. Evaluation of health benefits should primarily focus on policy-relevant outcomes, including mortality, morbidity, and quality of life, and utilizing the clinical assessment reports published by reputable HTA agencies is advocated. If the investigated health technology generates health gain to a policy relevant comparator, cost-utility analysis with quality-adjusted life years calculation, 3% discount rate for costs and outcomes and explicit cost-effectiveness thresholds is the preferred methods to judge the economic value of health technologies. The time horizon of budget impact analysis should cover a four-year period. Full disclosure of conflicts of interest, expert contributions, and a public version of HTA dossiers are mandatory to enhance transparency.
CONCLUSIONS: Acceptance of HTA methodological guidelines by the Ministry of Health represents an important milestone in improving the evidence base of policy decisions in Oman and provides a standardized and transparent approach to judge the value and affordability of health technologies, aligning with international best practices and local healthcare needs and priorities.
METHODS: Guideline development included five steps: (1) learnings from international HTA guidelines; (2) multistakeholder workshop on key components of the Omani methodological guidelines; (3) survey to facilitate consensus on the most critical elements; (4) drafting of guidelines based on collected observations; and (5) validation through feedback from policy-makers and HTA experts.
RESULTS: The Omani HTA guidelines consists of six sections, including targeted indication, medical assessment, economic evaluation, budget impact analysis, social and ethical considerations, and transparency requirements. Evaluation of health benefits should primarily focus on policy-relevant outcomes, including mortality, morbidity, and quality of life, and utilizing the clinical assessment reports published by reputable HTA agencies is advocated. If the investigated health technology generates health gain to a policy relevant comparator, cost-utility analysis with quality-adjusted life years calculation, 3% discount rate for costs and outcomes and explicit cost-effectiveness thresholds is the preferred methods to judge the economic value of health technologies. The time horizon of budget impact analysis should cover a four-year period. Full disclosure of conflicts of interest, expert contributions, and a public version of HTA dossiers are mandatory to enhance transparency.
CONCLUSIONS: Acceptance of HTA methodological guidelines by the Ministry of Health represents an important milestone in improving the evidence base of policy decisions in Oman and provides a standardized and transparent approach to judge the value and affordability of health technologies, aligning with international best practices and local healthcare needs and priorities.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
HTA167
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Technology Assessment
Topic Subcategory
Systems & Structure, Value Frameworks & Dossier Format
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas