Course Level: Intermediate
Course Limit: 50
Format Requirements: The course is aimed at individuals with a general understanding of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of some of the more controversial issues in HTA and learning from NICE's experience in this area. The course will use a mixture of interactive presentations and facilitated group discussions and will examine case studies from NICE's Technology Appraisal program.
Background: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) conducts rigorous appraisals of new technologies to provide guidance to the UK National Health Service. Its methods and processes have influenced policies on the rational use of medical interventions worldwide.
Description and Objectives: This course looks at NICE's approach to policy-making using Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and considers some of the more controversial and challenging areas in which there is both ongoing academic debate and a developing “case law” from within NICE's Technology Appraisal program. Firstly, it considers the question of what goes into the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER); for example
- Choice of perspective
- Valuing survival gains in terminal diseases
- Valuing innovation
It then goes on to consider the question of how to incorporate factors not included within the ICER; covering issues such as
- Interactions between Technology Appraisal and drug pricing
- Benefits of early adoption versus further research
- Incorporating multiple criteria when making decisions.