SIPMeL

Login

042 - HTA and the industry of diagnostics

Autor(s): F. Caprari

Issue: RIMeL - IJLaM, Vol. 3, N. 3-S1, 2007 (MAF Servizi srl ed.)

Page(s): 42-43

HTA is becoming a process that conditions increasingly the development and the adoption of medical technologies within various divisions of the industry. As a consequence, two aspects are remarkable: 1) industry’s position concerning the HTA; 2) the increasing impact HTA has on the competitiveness of this industrial sector and the companies that belongin it. 1) Today Industries don’t wonder anymore “HTA, opportunity or threat”, but “how to play a role in the HTA”. Particularly, two aspects should be taken into account: the criteria of economic evaluation more suitable for the diagnostic technologies, that according to the industry should take into consideration its specific characteristics and peculiarities, and the definition of value and whom this refers to: could we keep it strictly to clinical endpoints or should we extend it to incorporate quality of life dimensions?; and more, should we limit the analysis to the patient’s quality of life or include also that of the caregiver? The questions could find answer through a debate in which industry’s specialists and those of HTA organizations are confronted with technical and methodological aspects. Through the technical discussion and the research for concrete solutions to the problems, we could overcome the distrust barrier that divides those that produce the technology and those who evaluate it. 2) It is important to evaluate the impact that HTA, the approval processes, the regulatory aspects and reimbursement have on the competitiveness of the industry. So many are the studies created by the financial analysts: in the last two years, European Union and the United States, financed different surveys concerning the competitiveness of devices and diagnostics industry, aiming to investigatethoroughly the impact of HTA, DRGs and measurestaken to rationalize and contain healthcare expenses on the competitiveness of this sector. To conclude: - The industry is constrained to produce and create all information that will allow a complete evaluation process, inspiring the value of transparency, of evidence based, of security, awareness that within a healthy process of R&D, short-cuts should not exist. - The regulatory authorities have to establish clear and precise rules of approval, since they have economic and financial impact on the sector, or rather the profusion of the country and ultimately the workforce.

Article in PDF format

Back to current issue