OBJECTIVES: To improve the science and practice of health technology assessment (HTA) by initiating multi-stakeholder dialogue about best practices and opportunities for meaningful change toward achieving equity in health care valuation by addressing existing health disparities and promoting equitable access to care.

METHODS: During September through November 2022, Innovation and Value Initiative (IVI) staff conducted ten one-hour virtual interviews with individuals with lived experience, professional expertise, and skills in research, clinical delivery, policy, or data analysis. Individuals invited to participate were identified by referrals from a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee and IVI’s Patient Advisory Council, as well as review of key papers, external equity initiatives, and presentations. Key themes arising from the discussions are summarized below.

RESULTS: Interviews revealed broad consensus that there is no value without equity, requiring an intentional focus on equity from the beginning and throughout the process of HTA. Informants noted that there must be equity in who does the work of HTA, and equity should be integrated throughout all HTA processes. Examples of changes that were suggested by interviewees include:

• Investing in early, authentic, and meaningful partnerships with patients and communities;
• Prioritizing lived-experience expertise in leadership, design, and execution;
• Increasing representation from marginalized communities, both in HTA practitioners and in data used;
• Investing in equity expertise as an essential skillset for researchers and others involved in HTA;
• Combining quantitative and qualitative data through mixed methods to understand health disparities, and acknowledge social, environmental, and historical factors driving health inequities; and
• Increasing transparency in who frames research and value questions, whose perspectives are reflected within HTA, and in reporting biases and missing data.

CONCLUSIONS: Key themes from these interviews were used to explore areas for process and methods action during subsequent roundtable discussions, and will be used to develop actionable guidance for equity-centered HTA in 2023.