Institutionalising health technology assessment: establishing the Medical Technology Assessment Board in India

Abstract

India is at crossroads with a commitment by the government to universal health coverage (UHC), driving efficiency and tackling waste across the public healthcare sector. Health technology assessment (HTA) is an important policy reform that can assist policy-makers to tackle inequities and inefficiencies by improving the way in which health resources are allocated towards cost-effective, appropriate and feasible interventions. The equitable and efficient distribution of health budget resources, as well as timely uptake of good value technologies, are critical to strengthen the Indian healthcare system. The government of India is set to establish a Medical Technology Assessment Board to evaluate existing and new health technologies in India, assist choices between comparable technologies for adoption by the healthcare system and improve the way in which priorities for health are set. This initiative aims to introduce a more transparent, inclusive, fair and evidence-based process by which decisions regarding the allocation of health resources are made in India towards the ultimate goal of UHC. In this analysis article, we report on plans and progress of the government of India for the institutionalisation of HTA in the country. Where India is home to one-sixth of the global population, improving the health services that the population receives will have a resounding impact not only for India but also for global health.

Strengthening health technology assessment systems in the global south: a comparative analysis of the HTA journeys of China, India and South Africa

“…Previously, explicit priority setting or HTA has not been systematically incorporated into decision-making in India for resource allocation or reimbursement [44–47]. This can be difficult in the context of the current healthcare system, which is complex and fragmented with several different insurance and ‘assurance’ arrangements, at both the central and state level.…”

“…Decision-making for resource allocation is often consensus-based nationally and at a state level [44]. Owing to the federal structure of India, and a significantly greater share of public health funding coming from State Governments, states are an essential stakeholder in healthcare decision-making.…”

“…HTAIn falls under the oversight of the Department of Health Research, within the MoHFW, and will be tasked with developing a robust HTA system to assist decision-makers nationally and at a state level. Additionally, HTAIndia will be responsible for informing the public on HTA findings [44,54,64–68]. …”

A capacity-building programme in health technology assessment for hospital pharmacists in a low- to middle-income country

“…Health technology assessment capacity‐building programmes have been developed and implemented around the world such as those described in Hungary, India, Singapore and South Korea. However, they vary in their scope, target audience, length and content . Some target a wider audience to build HTA capacity at national level rather than a hospital level.…”

“…However, they vary in their scope, target audience, length and content. [18][19][20][21] Some target a wider audience to build HTA capacity at national level rather than a hospital level. In the USA, capacity building of pharmacists is provided primarily through fellowship and residency programmes in pharmacoeconomics and managed care.…”