BEYOND THE LOWEST PRICE: A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR INTEGRATING MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS (MCDA) INTO KUWAIT'S VALUE-BASED PROCUREMENT
Author(s)
Panos Kanavos, BSc, MSc, PhD1, Abdulrahman Aloumi, PhD2, Abdulrazak Aljazairy, PhD3, Ahmed Seyam, PhD4, Omar Maoujoud, PhD, MD5, Hanan Mahmoud, BSc, MSc6, Hamza Garashi, PhD7, Mohammad Naser Fargaly, PhD8, Mohamed Tannira, BSc, MSc9, Nadia Al Mazrouei, PhD10, Sahar Fahmy, PhD11, Samar Mansour, PhD9, Khalil Dashti, PhD12.
1Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom, 2Kuwait Ministry of Health (MOH), Kuwait, Kuwait, 3Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative Division, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 4Universal Health Insurance Organization, Cairo, Egypt, 5Moroccan Society for Health Products Economics (SMEPS), Casablanca, Morocco, 6Railway Medical Centre; Health Economist, Cairo, Egypt, 7Pharmaceutical and Herbal Medicines Registration and Control Administration, Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 8Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 9ISPOR UAE Chapter, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 10Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 11Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 12Oncology and Hematology Drug Utilization Committee, Kuwait, Kuwait.
1Department of Health Policy, London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom, 2Kuwait Ministry of Health (MOH), Kuwait, Kuwait, 3Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative Division, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 4Universal Health Insurance Organization, Cairo, Egypt, 5Moroccan Society for Health Products Economics (SMEPS), Casablanca, Morocco, 6Railway Medical Centre; Health Economist, Cairo, Egypt, 7Pharmaceutical and Herbal Medicines Registration and Control Administration, Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 8Dubai Medical College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 9ISPOR UAE Chapter, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 10Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, 11Department of Health, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 12Oncology and Hematology Drug Utilization Committee, Kuwait, Kuwait.
OBJECTIVES: To develop a strategic framework for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to support transparent, value-based healthcare decision-making and procurement within the Kuwaiti health system.
METHODS: A qualitative expert-consensus study was conducted using a moderated panel of multidisciplinary stakeholders (including payers, regulators, industry experts, and HTA specialists) with deep expertise in MENA health systems. The study employed a structured thematic analysis across four primary domains: governance requirements, regulatory frameworks, MCDA methodological design, and procurement integration. Consensus was synthesized into actionable policy recommendations, specifically focusing on criteria weighting and implementation pathways.
RESULTS: The panel confirmed that MCDA serves as a strategic prerequisite for maturing HTA frameworks by incorporating therapeutic advantages, supply chain resilience, and societal priorities alongside traditional cost-effectiveness tools. Key findings included: Value-per-Price Scoring: Embedding MCDA as a scoring mechanism within procurement was identified as the immediate pathway to transform tenders from lowest-cost awards to highest-value decisions. Rigorous Weighting Methodologies: Weighting Methodologies: To ensure institutional credibility, consensus favored assigning criteria weights through literature reviews, stakeholder consultations, and sensitivity analyses. Quality Safeguards: Implementation of pre-MCDA regulatory filters was recommended to prevent low-quality interventions from advancing on price alone. Adaptability: Experts emphasized that MCDA frameworks must be dynamic, requiring periodic refinement to align with evolving policy realities.
CONCLUSIONS: MCDA provides a structured and multi-dimensional framework for achieving transparent, equitable, and evidence-based procurement in Kuwait. By prioritizing value-per-price scoring and multi-stakeholder alignment, Kuwait can establish a credible HTA architecture that is both adaptable to innovation and institutionally robust.
METHODS: A qualitative expert-consensus study was conducted using a moderated panel of multidisciplinary stakeholders (including payers, regulators, industry experts, and HTA specialists) with deep expertise in MENA health systems. The study employed a structured thematic analysis across four primary domains: governance requirements, regulatory frameworks, MCDA methodological design, and procurement integration. Consensus was synthesized into actionable policy recommendations, specifically focusing on criteria weighting and implementation pathways.
RESULTS: The panel confirmed that MCDA serves as a strategic prerequisite for maturing HTA frameworks by incorporating therapeutic advantages, supply chain resilience, and societal priorities alongside traditional cost-effectiveness tools. Key findings included: Value-per-Price Scoring: Embedding MCDA as a scoring mechanism within procurement was identified as the immediate pathway to transform tenders from lowest-cost awards to highest-value decisions. Rigorous Weighting Methodologies: Weighting Methodologies: To ensure institutional credibility, consensus favored assigning criteria weights through literature reviews, stakeholder consultations, and sensitivity analyses. Quality Safeguards: Implementation of pre-MCDA regulatory filters was recommended to prevent low-quality interventions from advancing on price alone. Adaptability: Experts emphasized that MCDA frameworks must be dynamic, requiring periodic refinement to align with evolving policy realities.
CONCLUSIONS: MCDA provides a structured and multi-dimensional framework for achieving transparent, equitable, and evidence-based procurement in Kuwait. By prioritizing value-per-price scoring and multi-stakeholder alignment, Kuwait can establish a credible HTA architecture that is both adaptable to innovation and institutionally robust.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
HTA232
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Technology Assessment, Organizational Practices
Topic Subcategory
Decision & Deliberative Processes
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas