Driving factors and mode transformation regarding health technology assessment (HTA) in China: Problems and recommendations

Abstract

As the reform of Chinese medical and health undertakings has advanced (since 2015), the admission, pricing and payment policies regarding the new health technologies of China have undergone significant changes, and health technology assessment (HTA) has gradually become one of the current reform and research hotspots in China. Based on the perspective of HTA driving factors and the development mode, this paper proposes a two-stage mode of HTA development in China, namely, the mode driven by the management of new heath technology admission and another one driven by new health technology pricing and medical insurance payment. In addition, the paper also proposes the challenges that HTA faces in China under the current mode, including the development system, process standard, data mechanism, and policy application. Besides, recommendations are provided for the further development of HTA construction in China, including strengthening the development system of regional HTA centers, formulating HTA process guidance, building a database, improving evaluation quality and intensifying policy integration.

Health technology assessment to inform decision making in China: progress, challenges, and sustainability

“…All this shows that the National Health Commission has taken concrete steps to use HTA to inform policy development. 10 …”

“…All this shows that the National Health Commission has taken concrete steps to use HTA to inform policy development. 10 HTA's future challenges Lack of policy arrangements for using HTA to support decision making Although awareness of HTA among policy makers has improved in recent years, gaps remain.…”

Assessing progression of health technology assessment implementation in Asia: a balanced scorecard for cross comparison of selected countries in Asia

“…Programs have been established at additional universities, governmental institutions, consulting companies, and industry-based organizations more recently (7). The National HTA Forum by the China National Health Development Research Center (CNHDRC) established the China Health Policy and Technology Assessment network in 2016 to further increase the capacity of HTA in the country and promote its use for policy making (6). The growth in HTA research and use for policy making has also been spurred by increased demand and favorable outlook toward HTA by the government (8).…”

“…Foundations for HTA were laid in the 1980s in China, while between 1993 and 2000, several HTA programs were established across universities in the country (6). Programs have been established at additional universities, governmental institutions, consulting companies, and industry-based organizations more recently (7).…”

Informing a Cost-Effectiveness Threshold for Health Technology Assessment in China: A Marginal Productivity Approach

“…The HTA Research Network was established in 2016, led by National Health Commission (NHC)'s Health Development Research Centre, and has more than 300 members from universities, hospitals, and relevant associations as well as overseas experts. In 2018, the National Centre for Evaluation of Medicines and Health Technologies was created by NHC, representing formal establishment of a national HTA agency [2][3][4].…”