Session (CTI)

Issue: Aging populations and persistent workforce shortages increasingly challenge health systems and economies worldwide. Health affects both labor supply (through individuals’ ability to participate in work productively) and labor demand (as investments in healthcare, preventive interventions, and new technologies stimulate employment and economic activity). Despite these dual effects, most HTA frameworks focus primarily on patient-level outcomes and direct healthcare costs, rarely capturing broader labor-market consequences. This omission is particularly relevant for policymakers who must justify health investments not only on clinical grounds but also in terms of societal and economic value. Transparent integration of labor-supply and labor-demand outcomes into HTA can support more informed resource-allocation decisions within the health sector and beyond. This panel explores how methodological approaches can incorporate these labor-market effects into economic evaluations. We aim to provide practical insights for HTA bodies, researchers, and policymakers on capturing the broader impact of health interventions on productivity, employment, and economic growth - while ensuring that benefits are neither overstated nor distributed inequitably. Overview: The session explores methodological approaches for incorporating labor-market effects into HTA, including the trade-offs involved in assessing different outcomes. It provides practical insights on how to quantify the broader societal and economic impact of health interventions, particularly regarding productivity, employment dynamics, and health-related labor supply and demand. Following the introduction (10 minutes), the panellists will present and discuss their distinct perspectives (30 minutes). The moderator will then guide a focused exchange in which speakers elaborate on their key messages and reflect on methodological and practical challenges (10 minutes). The session concludes with an interactive discussion with the audience (10 minutes), inviting further debate and questions on integrating labor-market outcomes into HTA.