Assessment

WHAT IS HTA?

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a systematic assessment of the preconditions for and the consequences of using health technology. Health technology is methods and devices, which is used for detection, diagnostics, treatment, care giving, rehabilitation and prevention of health problems.

Health Technology Assessment assesses the consequences of new medical technology in four key areas: The technology, the patient, the organisation and the costs.

ASSESSING INNOVATION

HTA gives the hospital management a research-based basis for decisions on implementing new treatments or technologies at the hospital. HTA is not a decision itself, but it provides a well-documented basis for potential decisions.

It is of great importance to the patients because they receive the treatment with the greatest possible effect and the best patient experience, and there is a solid scientific basis, which ensures a safe and thoroughly tested treatment.

When assessing telemedicine, we use the following assessment models.

EXPERTISE OF THE HTA UNIT

The HTA unit at Odense University Hospital (OUH) is affiliated with innovation and research projects at OUH, but can also be affiliated to projects at other hospitals etc. in Denmark. The employees of the HTA unit are involved on all levels from supervision to project management with responsibility for the project’s progress.

The competences of the HTA unit includes i.a.:

• Assessment of telemedical and welfare technological solutions
• Systematic information retrieval
• Health economic analyses (including register studies)
• Studies of the patients’ experiences
• Organisational analyses
• Preparation of HTA reports
• Preparation of mini HTAs
• Supervision (assistance regarding the design of projects, method and assessment approach)
• Teaching HTA and mini HTA
• Business cases