PURPOSE: This workshop will present recent best-practice guidance developed within the ‘Next Generation HTA’ project (HTx) to support health technology assessment (HTA) agencies in evaluating diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19. Panellists, all involved in the development process, will discuss the challenges facing the HTA of COVID-19 technologies and the key recommendations to address these challenges. Attendees will learn how the guidance can support HTA-based decision making during the pandemic.

DESCRIPTION: HTA was not at the forefront of healthcare decision making about tests and treatments for COVID-19 in response to the pandemic, as governments prioritised urgent action. Now, HTA agencies are tasked with assessing the value of a growing number of COVID-19 technologies. HTx best-practice guidance has been developed, with input from the ISPOR HTA Council, to provide a pragmatic, consistent framework to approach these assessments.

Dalia Dawoud will introduce the HTx project, and present the rationale for developing guidance to support the HTA of technologies for COVID-19 (12`).

Jamie Elvidge will describe how a multi-stakeholder policy sandbox approach was used the develop the guidance, and will summarise the key recommendations (12`).

Brian O’Rourke will outline the COVID-related challenges reported by HTA agencies, and consider the benefits, practicality, and implications of the guidance (12`).

Neil Bertelsen will highlight the continued need for broad stakeholder engagement despite the challenging pandemic context, and present a tiered approach to gaining insights from relevant patient and citizen groups (12`).

There will be audience polling and Q&A (12`). This workshop will be of interest to all HTA stakeholders.