ISSUE

: Innovative therapies are continually being developed, and Health Technology Assessments (HTA) agencies are evolving to keep up with the pace of innovation. A key tenant of HTA is the engagement of clinicians and patients who provide context and experience with the disease and therapy under review. Are we optimizing the perspectives of these key stakeholders into the HTA processes as novel therapies continue to enter the health system?

OVERVIEW

: HTAs are designed to inform decision making through a multi-stakeholder approach considering many perspectives. For many years, the health care system has committed to focusing on patient-centred care, and that priority should also apply to HTA. The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) has grown to become a leader in patient engagement in HTA, where now there is a call for patient and clinician input for every review. Yet today’s treatment paradigms have been transformed by innovation and novel clinical trial designs, and the pace of new drug discovery continues to increase, putting pressure on the HTA process to further evolve. Real-world insights and the treatment values that patients and clinicians share can be enhanced. For this session, a diverse group of panelists will examine the strengths and opportunities that exist to meaningfully incorporate the experiences that patients and clinicians into HTA.

The session will begin with each panelist describing the strengths and opportunities in patient and clinician engagement in HTA using examples to highlight their perspective (10 minutes each). Following these presentations, a moderated discussion among the panelists will focus on the merits and feasibility of the opportunities outlined by the panelists (30 minutes), and will include an opportunity for the audience to participate through questions and discussion.