Patient engagement for the development of equity-focused health technology assessment (HTA) recommendations: a case study of two Canadian HTA organizations.

Abstract

Background: Health technology assessment (HTA) is a form of policy analysis that informs decisions about funding and scaling up health technologies to improve health outcomes. An equity-focused HTA recommendation explicitly addresses the impact of health technologies on individuals disadvantaged in society because of specific health needs or social conditions. However, more evidence is needed on the relationships between patient engagement processes and the development of equity-focused HTA recommendations.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess relationships between patient engagement processes and the development of equity-focused HTA recommendations.

Methods: We analyzed sixty HTA reports published between 2013 and 2021 from two Canadian organizations: Canada's Drug Agency and Ontario Health.

Results: Quantitative analysis of the HTA reports showed that direct patient engagement (odds ratio (OR): 3.85; 95 percent confidence interval (CI): 2.40-6.20) and consensus in decision-making (OR: 2.27; 95 percent CI: 1.35-3.84) were more likely to be associated with the development of equity-focused HTA recommendations than indirect patient engagement (OR: .26; 95 percent CI: .16-.41) and voting (OR: .44; 95 percent CI: .26-.73).

Conclusion: The results can inform the development of patient engagement strategies in HTA. These findings have implications for practice, research, and policy. They provide valuable insights into HTA.