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PP109 The Use Of Health Technology Assessment In Decision Making: Evidence From The Balkan Countries
- Enkeleint A. Mechili, Elena Petelos, Jorgjia Bucaj, Parisis Gallos
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- Journal:
- International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care / Volume 39 / Issue S1 / December 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 14 December 2023, p. S82
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Introduction
According to the most recent definition health technology assessment (HTA) “is a multidisciplinary process that uses explicit methods to determine the value of a health technology at different points in its lifecycle. The purpose is to inform decision-making in order to promote an equitable, efficient, and high-quality health system”. This article aimed to evaluate implementation of HTA in decision making in the Balkan countries.
MethodsA scoping review of the existing literature took place to locate relevant scientific articles, policy papers and documents released by the respective Ministries. We searched data for 6 Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) and didn’t focus on those countries that are part of the European Union (EU). For the literature search key words were used, while documents only in English were included in the analyses. Additionally, the search was conducted for the period January 2010 until October 2022.
ResultsThe Western Balkan countries are in process of integration to the EU and based on this they are trying to make improvement in different sectors including health services. However, the use of HTA in most of the studied countries is in its preliminary phase. Most of the countries have established HTA bodies or specific authorities but with limited resources (both human and financial). Additionally, their reports are non-binding for policy makers and healthcare decisions are taken based on experts’ opinions and not an extensive HTA analyses.
ConclusionsDespite their efforts, the Western Balkan countries need to improve and considerably increase the use of HTA in decision-making. Its use can help in provision of better healthcare services as well as to decrease costs. Specific attention should be put on human and financial resources that are lacking in all settings.
Western Balkan countries need to put much more efforts for harmonization of their legal framework with that of the EU countries.
Burden of infectious disease studies in Europe and the United Kingdom: a review of methodological design choices
- Periklis Charalampous, Juanita A. Haagsma, Lea S. Jakobsen, Vanessa Gorasso, Isabel Noguer, Alicia Padron-Monedero, Rodrigo Sarmiento, João Vasco Santos, Scott A. McDonald, Dietrich Plass, Grant M. A. Wyper, Ricardo Assunção, Elena von der Lippe, Balázs Ádám, Ala'a AlKerwi, Jalal Arabloo, Ana Lúcia Baltazar, Boris Bikbov, Maria Borrell-Pages, Iris Brus, Genc Burazeri, Serafeim C. Chaintoutis, José Chen-Xu, Nino Chkhaberidze, Seila Cilovic-Lagarija, Barbara Corso, Sarah Cuschieri, Carlotta Di Bari, Keren Dopelt, Mary Economou, Theophilus I. Emeto, Peter Fantke, Florian Fischer, Alberto Freitas, Juan Manuel García-González, Federica Gazzelloni, Mika Gissler, Artemis Gkitakou, Hakan Gulmez, Sezgin Gunes, Sebastian Haller, Romana Haneef, Cesar A. Hincapié, Paul Hynds, Jane Idavain, Milena Ilic, Irena Ilic, Gaetano Isola, Zubair Kabir, Maria Kamusheva, Pavel Kolkhir, Naime Meriç Konar, Polychronis Kostoulas, Mukhtar Kulimbet, Carlo La Vecchia, Paolo Lauriola, Miriam Levi, Marjeta Majer, Enkeleint A. Mechili, Lorenzo Monasta, Stefania Mondello, Javier Muñoz Laguna, Evangelia Nena, Edmond S. W. Ng, Paul Nguewa, Vikram Niranjan, Iskra Alexandra Nola, Rónán O'Caoimh, Marija Obradović, Elena Pallari, Mariana Peyroteo, Vera Pinheiro, Nurka Pranjic, Miguel Reina Ortiz, Silvia Riva, Cornelia Melinda Adi Santoso, Milena Santric Milicevic, Tugce Schmitt, Niko Speybroeck, Maximilian Sprügel, Paschalis Steiropoulos, Aleksandar Stevanovic, Lau Caspar Thygesen, Fimka Tozija, Brigid Unim, Hilal Bektaş Uysal, Orsolya Varga, Milena Vasic, Rafael José Vieira, Vahit Yigit, Brecht Devleesschauwer, Sara M. Pires
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- Journal:
- Epidemiology & Infection / Volume 151 / 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 09 January 2023, e19
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This systematic literature review aimed to provide an overview of the characteristics and methods used in studies applying the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) concept for infectious diseases within European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EEA)/European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and the United Kingdom. Electronic databases and grey literature were searched for articles reporting the assessment of DALY and its components. We considered studies in which researchers performed DALY calculations using primary epidemiological data input sources. We screened 3053 studies of which 2948 were excluded and 105 studies met our inclusion criteria. Of these studies, 22 were multi-country and 83 were single-country studies, of which 46 were from the Netherlands. Food- and water-borne diseases were the most frequently studied infectious diseases. Between 2015 and 2022, the number of burden of infectious disease studies was 1.6 times higher compared to that published between 2000 and 2014. Almost all studies (97%) estimated DALYs based on the incidence- and pathogen-based approach and without social weighting functions; however, there was less methodological consensus with regards to the disability weights and life tables that were applied. The number of burden of infectious disease studies undertaken across Europe has increased over time. Development and use of guidelines will promote performing burden of infectious disease studies and facilitate comparability of the results.