Health Technology Assessment (HTA)
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a multidisciplinary process that uses explicit methods to determine a health technology’s value for healthcare decision-making. Attitudes towards HTA vary globally, with some countries using a variety of methods and analyses and others hardly any.
Around the World in HTAs: Australia – The lucky country’s waiting game
5 October 2026
Australia’s HTA system was one of the world’s first, but outdated methods mean patients now wait an average of 466 days for subsidised access to new medicines. We look at the 2024 HTA Review and whether its reforms can close the gap.
Around the World in HTAs: Zimbabwe – Seizing a window of opportunity
24 September 2026
Zimbabwe has an opportunity to embed health technology assessment (HTA) into its health system as it works towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. Currently, the country provides access to just 55% of the benchmarked essential health services.
Unlocking the broader value of biologic therapies through biosimilar-enabled access and repositioning
23 September 2026
Biologic medicines account for over 40% of global pharmaceutical spend. When originator patents expire, biosimilar competition should drive prices down, generating cost-savings, broadening access, and improving…
Compared to what? How the choice of comparator affects new medicines
14 September 2026
Comparator choice shapes health technology assessment: it sets the benchmark a new medicine is assessed against, driving both patient access and where firms invest in R&D. We consider five theoretical comparator examples and, for each, assess the implications of comparator selection on access, launch decisions and innovation incentives for new medicines.
Around the World in HTAs: Spain – Closer than ever, but not quite yet
8 July 2026
Spain has introduced its first national legal framework for health technology assessment (HTA) through Royal Decree 415/2026. It is a significant step forward, but the system is still being built.
Carer quality of life in HTA: from measurement to economic models
7 July 2026
Informal carers play a vital role in patient outcomes, but capturing their quality of life in HTA remains a persistent challenge. OHE experts – together with…
Around the world in HTAs: Abu Dhabi – Advancing HTA and value-based healthcare in the UAE
1 July 2026
Abu Dhabi is taking important steps to strengthen the use of HTA in healthcare decision-making, with the publication of its HTA guidelines in 2025 marking an important milestone.
The impact of inflation on incremental costs in HTA
4 June 2026
Inflation reshapes the economic landscape in which new treatments are evaluated. Yet cost-effectiveness thresholds tend to remain fixed over time. This report examines how inflation in…
One Europe, one assessment? Unpacking the European Joint Clinical Assessment
28 May 2026
As the first EU Joint Clinical Assessment reports approach, national HTA systems across Europe are already adapting to a new era of coordinated clinical evaluation.