Overcoming Barriers in Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment (HB-HTA): International Expert Panel Consensus.

The purpose of this article is to investigate the common facilitators and barriers associated with the implementation of hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA) across diverse hospital settings in seven countries. Through a two-round Delphi study, insights were gathered from a panel of 15 HTA specialists from France, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Poland, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Experts initially conducted a comprehensive review of the HB-HTA implementation in their respective countries, identifying the barriers and facilitators through descriptive analysis. Subsequently, panel experts ranked these identified barriers and facilitators on a seven-point Likert scale. A median agreement score ≥ 6 and interquartile range (IQR) ≤ 1 was accepted as reaching a consensus. Out of the 12 statements categorized as external and internal barriers and facilitators, the expert panel reached consensus on six statements (two barriers and four facilitators). The external barrier, which achieved consensus, was the lack of the formal recognition of the role of HB-HTA in national or regional legislations. The internal barrier reaching consensus was the limited availability of human resources dedicated to HB-HTA. This qualitative study indicates that HB-HTA still has progress to make before being formally accepted and integrated across most countries, although by building on the facilitating factors we identified there may be an opportunity for the implementation of internationally developed strategies to strengthen HB-HTA practices.

Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of precancerous diseases of the cervix (neoplasia) associated with the human papillomavirus: A systematic review.

This study provides an overview of the effectiveness and safety of PDT for the treatment of HPV-associated precancerous cervical conditions and contains recent findings from relevant research studies. A comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Central Library, and Google Scholar was conducted, including analytic epidemiological studies, and 11 papers were included. The narrative synthesis approach was used to summarize the results of the included studies. Studies were critically appraised using The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool for assessing the risk of bias. The results of the study demonstrate that CRR for HPV remission ranges from 66.7 % to 92.73 %, whereas for CIN1 it fluctuates from 57.1 % to 83.3 %. The frequency of recurrence of the disease ranged from 3.3 % to 8.9 % during the follow-up period of up to 2 years. Adverse events were observed in 8 (66 %) studies and the most common were cervical stenosis, abdominal pain, vaginal pain, and focal edema. Five types of topical and intravenous applications along with lasers of various wavelengths and intensities were mostly used. However, all studies demonstrated relatively similar results. According to the results, PDT has demonstrated favorable outcomes, but no impressive effect on the treatment of CIN. It should be emphasized, that the effectiveness of PDT for the treatment of HPV-associated CIN may vary depending on some variables, including the kind of PDT agent used, the dosage, duration and frequency of PDT administration, the severity and location of the lesions, and the host immunological response.

Hospital-based Health Technology Assessment in Kazakhstan: 3 years' experience of one unit.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the development and activities of the Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment (HB-HTA) Unit in the Hospital of the President's Affairs Administration, one of the first examples of the implementation of HB-HTA into the practice of Kazakhstani hospitals. METHODS: Details of the development of the Unit were obtained from the hospital's administrative records. The Unit's own records were used to describe the reports prepared and the clinical areas that were covered. Responses to recommendations in the Unit's reports were obtained from hospital administration and individual departments. Estimates of savings and payback periods were based on data from the hospital information system, and data submitted by manufacturers and distributors of medical equipment. RESULTS: Fifty-one rapid- and mini-HTA reports were prepared by the Unit from 2015 to 2017. Seventeen health technologies (33 percent) were not recommended for implementation in hospital practice. Refusal to implement sixteen of these technologies saved approximately 1,053,500 USD. Of the thirty-four recommended health technologies, twenty-four were implemented to treat or diagnose 1,376 patients, and eight others were included in plans for 2018-20. Of the twenty-four implemented health technologies, twelve did not require additional investments. The payback period of investments for the other twelve implemented technologies is not more than 3 years for six, less than 5 years for four, and more than 10 years for two technologies. CONCLUSIONS: Establishment of the HB-HTA Unit in the hospital created the basis for making informed managerial decisions; identifying key directions for strategic development; and improving hospital management.