Key Takeaways
•The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC) have established the Health Economics Methods Advisory (HEMA) initiative.
•HEMA aims to critically and independently research pressing topics in global health economics and health technology assessment (HTA) methods.
•The initiative brings together an independent working group of experts and a steering committee with representation from patients, payers, and the life sciences community across the USA, UK, and Canada.
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) in the USA, England’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC) announced the formation of the Health Economics Methods Advisory (HEMA) initiative. This collaborative effort seeks to address critical topics in global health economics and health technology assessment (HTA) methods through independent and rigorous research. The HEMA initiative assembles a working group of research experts, academics, and methodologists with both theoretical and practical experience in HTA. Their mission is to evaluate pressing issues in health economics, providing guidance and recommendations to the international HTA community. The selection and prioritization of research topics will be directed by a steering committee comprising representatives from patient groups, payers, and the life sciences sector across the three participating countries. This structure ensures that diverse perspectives inform the initiative’s focus and outputs.
Objectives and Leadership of HEMA
HEMA is dedicated to achieving primary objectives, The working group, alongside subject-specific experts, will explore various health economic methods, assessing their potential benefits, drawbacks, and uncertainties. This examination will include empirical investigations and practical examples where applicable.
Based on their findings, HEMA will offer recommendations regarding the adoption of novel methods, necessary modifications, and areas requiring further research, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of HTA practices globally.
The initiative plans to produce white papers, peer-reviewed articles, workshops, and webinars. These resources will focus on both the conceptual and practical applications of alternative methods, evaluating their feasibility within HTA settings, and sharing insights with a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
The working group is chaired by Dr. Mark Sculpher, Professor of Health Economics and Director of the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York. Dr. Sculpher emphasized the importance of incorporating diverse research experiences and viewpoints from the UK, Canada, and the USA. He stated that HEMA’s work aims to inform guidance that the international HTA community can adapt to their local contexts, ultimately improving decision-making processes in health care interventions.
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