The EUPATI Toolbox provides a comprehensive guide to the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process. HTA is a form of research that generates information about the clinical and cost-effectiveness of health technologies . The process involves the systematic evaluation of properties, effects, and/or impacts of health technologies. It may address the direct, intended consequences of technologies as well as their indirect, unintended consequences . The main purpose of HTA is to inform technology-related policymaking in healthcare, and it is sometimes called the bridge between evidence and policy making .
HTA is conducted by interdisciplinary groups using explicit analytical frameworks drawing from a variety of methods . The process can be divided into three phases: Assessment, Appraisal, and Decision-making . During the assessment phase, scientific evidence is collated and critically reviewed. In the appraisal phase, the assessment is reviewed with consideration of all other (policy) factors by a committee to make a recommendation. Finally, in the decision-making phase, the recommendation is implemented .
The remit of an HTA body determines what technologies it will or will not assess. The way an HTA body is positioned in a healthcare system plays a key role in the determination of its remit . There is great variation in the scope, selection of methods and level of detail in the practice of HTA . However, in recent years the fundamentals of good HTA processes have become more standardized .