FOUNDATIONS BEFORE INTEGRATION: STAKEHOLDER PRIORITIES FOR HTA DEVELOPMENT IN SLOVENIA IN THE ERA OF THE EU HTA REGULATION
Author(s)
Jure Peklar, PhD1, Katarina Beravs Bervar, PhD1, Eva Turk, PhD2.
1Slovenian Quality Health Care Agency (JAKZ), Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2CDHSI, University of Applied Sciences, St. Pölten, Austria.
1Slovenian Quality Health Care Agency (JAKZ), Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2CDHSI, University of Applied Sciences, St. Pölten, Austria.
OBJECTIVES: As the EU HTA Regulation (EU) 2021/2282 and its Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) mechanism take effect, Slovenia is in an early, capacity-building phase of Health Technology Assessment (HTA). This study examined stakeholder perceptions of the current state, gaps, and development priorities of HTA in Slovenia.
METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey engaged 124 stakeholders, of whom 97 completed it; healthcare providers predominated (52%), alongside industry, regulators/payers, patient representatives, academics, and HTA experts. The instrument combined single- and multi-select items, five-point Likert batteries, and weighted top-three ranking questions, with open-ended items analysed thematically. Likert items were tested against the scale midpoint using one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank tests; subgroup differences used Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and associations chi-square tests.
RESULTS: While opinion was divided on whether HTA already informs decision-making (mean 3.12), respondents clearly did not agree that its foundations are in place: that its importance is understood (2.30), that stakeholders are sufficiently knowledgeable (2.45), or that decisions rest on transparent criteria (2.58; all p<0.001). Perceived capacity, engagement, and transparency consistently fell below neutral. Forty percent were unaware of the EU Regulation, awareness being tied to HTA knowledge (p<0.001). No respondent considered national data sufficient, and data fragmentation was the leading methodological challenge (60%). In rankings, expertise/training and data infrastructure stood out as the dominant priorities. Respondents who broke off reported lower HTA knowledge than completers (p=0.003), suggesting the literacy gap is, if anything, understated.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings point to a coherent, actionable message: while HTA's value is widely recognised, progress depends most on HTA literacy, workforce capacity, and data infrastructure. Stakeholders show clear consensus on these foundational steps, which align naturally with the EU HTA Regulation: strengthening national capacity and data systems positions Slovenia to participate more fully in JCA and turn European cooperation into local benefit.
METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey engaged 124 stakeholders, of whom 97 completed it; healthcare providers predominated (52%), alongside industry, regulators/payers, patient representatives, academics, and HTA experts. The instrument combined single- and multi-select items, five-point Likert batteries, and weighted top-three ranking questions, with open-ended items analysed thematically. Likert items were tested against the scale midpoint using one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank tests; subgroup differences used Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and associations chi-square tests.
RESULTS: While opinion was divided on whether HTA already informs decision-making (mean 3.12), respondents clearly did not agree that its foundations are in place: that its importance is understood (2.30), that stakeholders are sufficiently knowledgeable (2.45), or that decisions rest on transparent criteria (2.58; all p<0.001). Perceived capacity, engagement, and transparency consistently fell below neutral. Forty percent were unaware of the EU Regulation, awareness being tied to HTA knowledge (p<0.001). No respondent considered national data sufficient, and data fragmentation was the leading methodological challenge (60%). In rankings, expertise/training and data infrastructure stood out as the dominant priorities. Respondents who broke off reported lower HTA knowledge than completers (p=0.003), suggesting the literacy gap is, if anything, understated.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings point to a coherent, actionable message: while HTA's value is widely recognised, progress depends most on HTA literacy, workforce capacity, and data infrastructure. Stakeholders show clear consensus on these foundational steps, which align naturally with the EU HTA Regulation: strengthening national capacity and data systems positions Slovenia to participate more fully in JCA and turn European cooperation into local benefit.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
HTA224
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory, Health Technology Assessment
Topic Subcategory
Systems & Structure
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas