OBJECTIVES: Health technology assessment (HTA) assessment can assist policy/decision makers in identifying cost-effective health technologies and effectively using medical resources. In view of the increasing demand for HTA proficiency, Taipei Medical University began offering the first HTA credit program in Taiwan in 2017. This study aimed to examine which courses are most important and which training activities are most helpful for the development of HTA proficiency as perceived by HTA experts.

METHODS: A questionnaire designed specifically for this study was developed by literature review and expert opinion. Convenience sampling was used to survey HTA experts from the industry, academic/research units, and government/independent assessment organizations using an online survey tool, SurveyCake. Respondents were asked to provide their demographic information and to assess the importance of each course included in the TMU HTA program on a 5-point Likert Scale (1 = least important; 5 = highly important). In addition, respondents were asked to assess the extent to which various activities are helpful for the development of HTA proficiency.

RESULTS: A total of 158 domestic and overseas experts in HTA-related fields were invited to participate in the survey and 68 completed the questionnaire. Among the respondents, the majority were female (57.4%) and working in academia (44.1%). The mean±standard deviation of respondents’ age and working time in HTA-related fields were 43.2±11.0 years and 11.3±9.9 years, respectively. The course that was rated the most important was “Pharmacoeconomics/Cost-effectiveness analysis” with a score of 4.8±0.4 points, followed by “Health economics” at 4.7±0.7 points. Moreover, among various types of training activities, internships at HTA-related institutions were perceived to be the most helpful for HTA proficiency development.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide a better understanding of the requirements for HTA proficiency and can serve as a reference for the modification of current HTA education and training programs.