Table 3 Extraction form for principles for HTA activities in SSA
Author(s) | Mathew | Abaza and Tawfik | Hutubessy et al. | Miot et al. | Govender et al. | Ueffing et al. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Study name | KNOW ESSENTIALS: A tool for informed decisions in the absence of formal HTA systems | Appropriate medical technologies for developing countries: application to cardiovascular disorders | Generalized cost-effectiveness analysis for national-level priority-setting in the health sector | Field testing of a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework for coverage of a screening test for cervical cancer in South Africa | Purchasing of medical equipment in public hospitals: the mini-HTA tool | Equity-oriented toolkit for health technology assessment and knowledge translation: application to scaling up of training and education for health workers |
Ease of training | Yes, it is an easy to use tool with clear guidelines and criteria | Yes, it is an easy to use tool with clear instructions and would require little training | No, special training required | Yes, not a difficult approach | Yes, the mini-HTA tool is easy to use and the questions on the form are clear | Yes, not a difficult approach |
Is the evidence collection requirement flexible? | Yes, it allows the use of less systematic evidence gathering with justification | Yes, all evidence in the form of data about medical devices is provided | Yes, data to assess the effectiveness of a medical technology not only come from reviews of evidence, but population surveys and expert opinion | Yes, available data in local context is used to customize framework | Yes, available data in the local context is used | No, only mentions sources such as The Cochrane Library and it is unclear if all other sources are considered |
Is approach or tool economical? | Yes, does not require expensive equipment or services | Yes, user would only need a computer and the software | Yes, does not require expensive equipment or services | Yes, does not require expensive equipment or services | Yes, tool only comprises of one form and not expensive equipment or services are required | Yes, does not require expensive equipment or services |
Does approach or tool address local context, including political framework? | Yes, it considers the local context throughout its process | No, the tool itself does not consider the local context | Yes, modifications according to local context is recommended by approach | Yes, HTA report is tailored to reflect local context | Yes, it is flexible and adapted to fit the local context | Yes, involves stakeholders in the process which bring in a contextual perspective |
Considerations | Does not include an explicit priority setting system. However, this tool is used to assess specific health technologies so it is further down in the HTA process. Evidence has the potential of not being very robust | Economical standing of this tool is dependent on the price of the decision making assistance software | Economical standing of this approach is dependent of amount of special training needed | The mini-HTA tool is a fast tool; however, it is not very comprehensive and only vaguely addresses the principles that it proposes. In addition, one of its limitations is that it is only applied in the context of hospital settings |