Encouraging News on HTA Collaboration

A new impetus from the Commission has marked encouraging improvements in patients’ relations with institutions and organisations working on HTA both at European and international level. Let’s take some time to reflect on those.

On September 27, a delegation of patient organisations met with the European Commission HTA team led by Flora Giorgio and EUnetHTA Joint Action 3 Coordinator, Wim Goettsch. The purpose was to gather patient representatives’ views and to present an upcoming initiative promoted by the European Commission in the framework of HTA, aimed to foster cooperation at EU level beyond 2020.

The initiative foresees the publication of an inception impact assessment describing the current state of play and putting forward several options for the continuation of the EU cooperation on HTA beyond 2020. In the same framework the European Commission has also recently launched a public stakeholder consultation on strengthening EU cooperation on HTA, to collect views on outcomes and benefits of the current cooperation on HTA and provide input on the future. All interested parties including patient organisations are invited to submit their responses by 13 January 2017.

The European Commission and Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, following a Council and European Parliament’s request, are showing great interest in moving forward towards deeper cooperation on HTA at European level: the Commissioner announced that in 2017 a set of legal instruments will be proposed to allow standardisation of HTA throughout the Union.

New legal instruments towards HTA EU-standards

This news is very promising for the patient community that will take the whole EC initiative on HTA as an opportunity to have a stronger impact on policies and procedures on HTA.

Alongside the work developed at European level, EPF is also strengthening collaboration with HTA International (HTAi), “the global scientific and professional society for all those who produce, use, or encounter HTA”.

EPF is part of the Steering Committee of the Patient and Citizens Interest Group (PCIG) and is currently involved in the Patient Involvement and Education Working Group, aimed to promote knowledge, skills and opportunities for effective patient involvement in HTA activities across countries in all regions of the world.

 

Contact person:

Valentina Strammiello, Programme Officer