HTA and evidence-based policy making: the Queensland
Health experience
Hong Ju, Kaye HewsonHTA Team, Queensland
Health, Australia
Image Credits © Vasi.
Background• Primary healthcare
agency to provide public health services for – over 4.5 million
people – the State of
Queensland (1.8 million km2), Australia
HTA Program StructureQPACT
MNCQACT NQACT SQACT GCACT PaedACT
Health Economics
Clinical Knowledge
HTA Process • Staged approach
– Stage I• Evaluation• Decision-making
– Stage II• Local data collection• System-wide policy
development
Submission of applications by clinicians (EOIs)
Prioritisation of applications according to pre-defined criteria
HTA team conducts due diligence on shortlisted submissions
QPACT makes evidence-based decision on the technologies
Policy recommendation
Policy decision on system-wide diffusion of the technology
Piloting
Trial data collection on:Clinical
Patient-relatedOrganisationalEconomic
Field evaluation if uncertainty remains
Clinical audit data on:Clinical
OrganisationalEconomic
Process – stage I
• Pre-implementation– Evaluation through
due diligence process
– Evidence-based decision-making
Submission of applications by clinicians (EOIs)
Prioritisation of applications according to pre-defined criteria
HTA team conducts due diligence on shortlisted submissions
QPACT makes evidence-based decision on the technologies
Policy recommendation
Process – stage II• Post-implementation
– Local data collection• Piloting• Field evaluation
– Policy decision on system-wide diffusion
QPACT makes evidence-based decision on the technologies
Policy recommendation
Policy decision on system-wide diffusion
of the technology
Piloting
Trial data collectionClinical
Patient-relatedOrganisationalEconomic
Field evaluation
Clinical audit dataClinical
OrganisationalEconomic
Outcomes • Assisted health administrators in prioritising their
health technology agendas (QPACT)– 72 EOIs for new technologies received for evaluation – 23 were short-listed and went through due diligence process– 15 were funded for piloting – 3 undergoing field evaluation– 2 were evaluated through full HTA
• Multiple rapid evidence scans for district committees to assist decision making
• Gained trust and wide support from policy makers and clinicians
• Increasingly used to support funding allocations
Conclusion
• Evidence-based policy decision making requires a comprehensive approach
• HTA is a valuable process to assist such policy development