2025 HTAi Annual Meeting

PN01 - European Union And Beyond: Will The Impact Of Joint Clinical Assessments Potentially Expand To Latin America?

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 15.00 to 16.00

Presenters: Andrea Gimenez, Joice Valentim, Manuel Donato, Sangeeta Budhia

Summary: In this panel, we report on work underway in the HTAi Rare Disease Interest Group (RDIG) that is exploring the evidence generation and assessment challenges for rare disease therapies, as well as potential ways to overcome these challenges. This will include an overview of work in the regulatory space to achieve greater convergence in the evaluation of rare disease drugs.

PN02 - Evidence Assessment Frameworks For Rare Disease Therapies: Toward A New Paradigm

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 15.00 to 16.00

Presenters: Sean Tunis, Alicia Granados, Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla, Peter Marks

PN03 - Adaptive Patient Skills For The Future Of HTA: Evidence Generation, HTA-R, Digital Technology, Executive Training

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 15.00 to 16.00

Presenters: Eugenio Di Brino, Valentina Strammiello, Verônica Stasiak Bednarczuk de Oliveira, Andrea Alcaraz

Summary: Join a dynamic multi-stakeholder panel on the future of Health Technology Assessment (HTA), where patients, academics, and HTA bodies explore the evolving role of patient involvement. Learn about innovative approaches in evidence generation, HTA frameworks, and capacity building, with a focus on environmental impact and financial sustainability. A unique opportunity for global collaboration in advancing patient-centered HTA.

PN04 - Advancing HTA: From Regional Collaboration To Global Impact Through HTAsiaLink

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 15.00 to 16.00

Presenters: Wendy Babidge, Izzuna Mudla Mohamed Ghazali, Miyoung Choi, Li Ying Huang

Summary: Key initiatives showcasing HTAsiaLink's impact:

REALISE: Harnessing real-world evidence to inform decision-making

AP-7D: Developing an Asia-specific preference-based measure

HTA Harmonisation in the ASEAN

Addressing challenges in evaluating emerging technologies e.g. Precision Medicine

HTA Registry: Creating a comprehensive database of Asian HTA studies

Panellists will explore how these collaborative efforts have strengthened regional HTA capabilities and contributed to global HTA discussions. The session will conclude by examining future directions for HTAsiaLink.

PN05 - Multistakeholder Perspectives And Practical Approaches For Incorporating Environmental Sustainability In HTA And CPGS

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 15.00 to 16.00

Presenters: Jani Mueller, Melissa Pegg, Anke-Peggy Holtorf, Airton Stein

Summary: Integrating environmental factors (EFs) into HTA will promote greener healthcare practices and support more resilient healthcare systems in tackling global demand. Framework development may benefit from principles of sustainable healthcare including circular economy and one health strategies, across the product pathway. Incorporating EFs will also inform policymakers of the ecological footprint of new and existing health technologies. Is HTA ready?

PN06 - Indigenous Peoples And Health Technology Assessment – International Action Needed To Improving Equity

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 15.00 to 16.00

Presenters: Mike Stephens, Trevor Simpson, Jane Thomas, Neto Witko Pitaguary

Summary: Globally Indigenous Peoples have unique health paradigms and community-led models of care. Despite the potential to leverage from these strengths, Indigenous Peoples often experience barriers to accessing culturally safe and appropriate healthcare. This panel reports the HTAi Annual Meeting 2023 workshop findings on this topic, provides updates on policy and practice, and reflects on the potential of a task force.

PN07 – Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment: Tailored Models, Overcoming Barriers, Practical Startup Strategies And More…

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 15.00 to 16.00

Presenters: Graciela Demirdjian, Laura Sampietro-Colom, Rossella Di Bidino, Marisa Santos

Summary: This panel will encourage hospital professionals (including clinicians and hospital managers) to implement evidence-based decision-making processes for innovations at hospital level. International experts will share pragmatic solutions to challenges that hinder hospital-based HTA: differences with national HTA, capacity building, tailored HB-HTA models based on hospital type or available resources, and effective strategies to overcome barriers and secure managerial support.

PN08 – Reassessment Of Innovative Drugs On Reimbursement List: Practices And Experiences From Multiple Countries

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 15.00 to 16.00

Presenters: Yingyao Chen, Lizheng Shi, Tracy Merlin, Jeonghoon Ahn

Summary: After innovative drugs are included in reimbursement schemes, reassessment is essential to update cost-effectiveness evidence for improving sustainability of health systems. This panel will review the practices and challenges of reassessing innovative drugs across Australia, China, South Korea and the United States. The session aims to promote international collaboration in health technology reassessment by using experience sharing and case studies.

PN09 - Innovative Approaches To Health Technology Assessment – Insights From The International Journal Of Technology Assessment In Health Care

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Wendy Babidge, Guy Maddern, Koonal Shah, Wija Oortwijn

Summary: HTA methods/tools are evolving and being published in academic journals. The Chair will introduce IJTAHC and speak on key topics (open access/methodological themes in HTA). The session will begin with presentations from authors of two most downloaded articles in 2023 relating to environmental sustainability and robotics. The Editor in Chief of IJTAHC will present on AI in publishing. The focus will be on current topics in publishing.

PN10 - Is Health Technology Assessment Ready For Artificial Intelligence-Driven Clinical Trials? A Participative Fishbowl

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Cliff Goodman, Ellie Treolar

Summary: Join a fishbowl on health technology assessment (HTA) readiness for emerging clinical trial designs driven by artificial intelligence (AI). Machine learning, natural language processing, and generative AI are being applied to overcome limitations of conventional randomized clinical trials and other studies. AI applications include, e.g., simulating alternative trial designs and outcomes, digital twin controls, real-time adaptive trials, and clinical endpoints via pattern recognition. Can HTA evidence reviews and appraisal adapt?

PN11 - Enhancing Collaboration Between HTA Agencies and Regulators In Digital Health: Insights From The UK And Brazil

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Gareth Hopkin, Luciane Bonan, Iran Cartaxo, Francesca Edelmann

Summary: Digital health technologies present the opportunity to reimagine health services but also bring new challenges. Greater collaboration between HTA and regulatory agencies can help ensure that their potential is delivered. This session will present benefits and opportunities of HTA and regulatory agencies working together and barriers to be addressed from the perspective of our agencies in the UK and Brazil.

PN12 - The Importance Of Considering Equity In Health Technology Assessment: Experiences From National Agencies And Network In Latin America

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Vania Cristina Canuto Santos, Santiago Hasdeu, Karen Huamán, Manuel Donato

Summary: Equity is a key factor to consider in the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process, as decision-making can impact health inequalities. Experiences from national HTA agencies and HTA network in Latin America that consider equity as a criterion in the decision-making process will be presented. Examples of different settings in which it can be considered will be discussed.

PN13 - Equity Vs. Economics: Can New HTA Methods Bridge The Gap?

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: William Padula, Barry Liden, Min-Hua Jen, Mohammadreza Mobinizadeh

Summary: Conventional cost-effectiveness analysis in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) faces challenges in addressing health equity, particularly for rare diseases. Current measures like quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lack sensitivity to dynamic prevalence and rarity of disease. Novel methodological approaches such as Generalized Dynamic Prevalence (GDP) adjustments offer potential solutions to make HTA more equitable while balancing budgetary constraints. This panel explores implementation challenges and opportunities for these novel, next-generation methods.

PN14 - Supporting Institutionalization Of HTA And Priority Setting: Experience From Ethiopia, Ghana, And South Africa

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Daniel Erku, Brian Asare, Tienie Stander

Summary: This Panel session will explore advances in institutionalization of health technology assessment and evidence-informed priority-setting in Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa, focusing on the progress, challenges, and key lessons learned. Participants will actively engage in discussions and share Africa-specific insights to support the development of sustainable priority-setting practices and improve health outcomes across diverse contexts.

PN15 - AI in HTA: Hype or Hope? Reflections from the HTAi Global Policy Forum

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: TBC

Summary: Panel discussion hosted by the HTAi Global Policy Forum

PN16 - Navigating Complexities: Advancing Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Institutionalization In Middle-Income Countries: Lessons From Asia And Latin America

Date & Time: Monday, June 16 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Christian Suharlim, Auliya Suwantika, Anne Julienne Marfori, Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla

Summary: Join our panel on HTA advancement in Middle-Income Countries, with insights from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Latin America Patient Academy; elevating voices of HTA councils, government and decision-making bodies, and patients. Explore how advanced methods, patient inclusion, and environmental considerations are shaping HTA frameworks, and discover innovative strategies to enhance decision-making, equity, and sustainability in healthcare across diverse global contexts.

PN17 - Novel Evidence Strategies For Assessing Digital Health Solutions: Whose Perspective Is At Stake?

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 11.30 to 12.30

Presenters: Emmanouil Tsiasiotis, Marco Marchetti, Andrea Rappagliosi, Valentina Stramiello

Summary: This session will provide an open dialogue between diverse perspectives of HTA researchers, regulators, industry and patients in identifying innovative strategies to generate robust evidence that could be used for HTA of digital health technologies.

Each presenter will pose one theme question to the audience and later discuss on the audience reflections proposing possible and innovative strategies for evidence generation around DHTs..

PN18 - AI In Evidence Synthesis: Enhancing Information Retrieval, Evidence Discovery And HTA Integration

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 11.30 to 12.30

Presenters: Siw Waffenschmidt, Eon Ting, Caroline Miller

Summary: This panel will explore AI's role in information retrieval for evidence synthesis, covering AI-enhanced search strategies, NICE report optimization, HTA acceptance, and industry compliance. Experts will discuss AI’s capabilities, challenges, and adoption strategies, offering practical guidance on integrating AI-driven retrieval practices and fostering collaboration among HTA, information specialists, and industry stakeholders.

PN19 - Rare Disease Initiatives: Knowledge Mobilisation To Inform Health Technology Assessment

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 11.30 to 12.30

Presenters: Veronica Lopez Gousset, Vinciane Pirard, Diego Fernando Gil Cardozo, Deborah Marshall

Summary: Improving Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and evidence generation is essential to ensuring access to rare disease technologies. Various initiatives are working toward these goals independently across the globe. However, their guidance has not been effectively publicized within the international HTA community, impacting uptake. This multi-stakeholder panel will explore the value of these initiatives and optimization of knowledge mobilization

PN20 - Advancing Greener Pharmaceuticals Without Compromising Patient Outcomes: New Evidence Needs And Global Perspectives From Industry, Policy Makers, Hospitals

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 11.30 to 12.30

Presenters: Burcak Aydin, Ipek Ozer Stillman, Augusto Guerra, Audrey Cordon

Summary: Pharmaceuticals contribute 10–55% of healthcare’s carbon emissions, driving the sector’s 4–10% share of global emissions. New regulations and methods now incorporate environmental outcomes in health technology design and evaluation. This panel explores industry, policy, and hospital case studies, sharing lessons on new evidence needs for integrating environmental metrics into health technology assessments at a global scale.

PN21 - The Impact Of Qualitative Evidence In Health Technology Assessment: Next Generation Evidence For Advancing Equity?

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 11.30 to 12.30

Presenters: Marilia Mastrocolla de Almeida Cardoso, Aline Silva, Alicia Granados, Sophie Werkö

Summary: HTA practitioners have recognized that assessments are stronger when they integrate both quantitative and qualitative evidence. Qualitative evidence and address questions about usability, meaningfulness, feasibility, appropriateness and equity and expands the evaluation, explaining why interventions are or are not effective from a person centered perspective. The objective is to present the relevance and experience in incorporating qualitative evidence in HTA.

PN22 - The QALY Controversy: Is Traditional Value Assessment Failing Patients?

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 11.30 to 12.30

Presenters: Barry Liden, Adina Lasser, William Padula, Marisa Santos

Summary: A provocative debate on the future of value assessment in HTA. As QALYs face growing criticism and legislative restrictions, leading experts will argue for and against their continued use while exploring emerging alternatives. This dynamic session features rapid-fire discussion, audience polling, and practical insights into maintaining scientific rigor while advancing equity in HTA methods.

PN23 - Horizon Scanning For Health Technology Production And Economic Development In Latin America

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 11.30 to 12.30

Presenters: Manuel Donato, Luciane Bonan, Adriana Robayo, Vania Canuto

Summary: Horizon Scanning used to prioritize technologies for local production as a driver of economic development in Latin American, presenting how countries have implemented this, and what impacts have been observed. Reflections on how countries could collaborate to make this a regional initiative with global impact and how the Latin American experience can serve as an example for other developing regions.

PN24 - Strengthening Health System Preparedness in Latin America: Insights from the Latin America Policy Forum on Horizon Scanning and Early Dialogue

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 11.30 to 12.30

Presenters: TBC

Summary: Panel discussion hosted by the HTAi Latin America Policy Forum

PN25 - The International Network Of Agencies For Health Technology Assessment Meeting Future Challenges: Evidence Generation And Health System Sustainability

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Alric Ruether, Jenny Berg, Rosa Maria Vivanco Hidalgo, Juliana Yi

Summary: Join this panel session delivered by esteemed INAHTA member agency representatives who will describe the opportunities and challenges of NextGen HTA and how HTA agencies are leading and shaping this new era. The increasing pressures for ‘faster’ HTA, health system sustainability and consideration of diverse evidence sources including environmental impacts, are some of the topics that will be discussed.

PN26 - Innovative Approaches And Challenges In Using HTA For Health Benefit Plan Design And Updates

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Andres Pichon-Riviere, Pamela Gongora Salazar, Yingyao Chen, Shankar Prinja

Summary: This panel explores challenges and innovations in applying HTA to health benefit plan design and updates. Experts will share experiences from Latin America, China, and India, highlighting rapid evaluation methodologies, regional efforts, and innovative frameworks. Attendees will gain insights into overcoming operational challenges in LMICs and adopting scalable approaches to improve resource allocation through timely benefit plan updates.

PN27 - Global Perspectives on Advancing Health Technology Assessment: Insights from Regional Engagements

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: George Valiotis, Rabia Sucu, Adriana Robayo, Alima Almadiyeva, Mouna Jameleddine

Summary: A moderated panel where experts from different regions will delve into the critical needs within their context and examine how HTAi has contributed—and can further contribute—to strengthening HTA capacity and implementation. This panel will explore HTAi’s regional initiatives, showcasing achievements, lessons learned, and strategies for fostering HTA capacity, political will, and multi-stakeholder engagement to drive global healthcare improvement.

PN28 - Initial Steps Towards Environmental Assessment: Building Collaborative Methodological Approaches In The Ibero-American Community Of Health Technology Assessment

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Analía Abt Sacks, M Soledad Isern de Val, Verónica Alfie, Estefanía Herrera Ramos

Summary: The environmental aspect is acknowledged as an important dimension of value in the new definitions of INHATA and HTAi. However, it has yet to be effectively integrated into HTA.

The objective of the panel is to discuss the progress made and to reach a consensus on the methodological steps necessary for the broader and effective adoption of the environmental dimension in HTA within Spanish-speaking communities.

PN29 - How Should Severity Of Illness Be Reflected In HTA? The International Experience And Future Directions

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Koonal Shah, Allan Wailoo, Vivian Reckers-Droog, Li Ying Huang

Summary: How to account for disease severity in HTA is a source of widespread debate. Some agencies have devised quantitative approaches, requiring a formal definition, severity categories, and explicit weights or willingness-to-pay thresholds. Others use a more qualitative approach or are just starting to grapple with this issue. This session compares experiences and challenges faced in three countries using different approaches.

PN30 - Innovative Approaches For Rapid Evidence Synthesis: Insights, Challenges, And Impact

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Agustín Ciapponi, Gabriel Rada, Izzuna Mudla M. Ghazali, Barbara Nussbaumer-Streit

Summary: This panel aligns with the HTAi 2025 theme, "NexGen Evidence: Diversifying and Advancing HTA to Meet Global Demands," by showcasing the latest advances in rapid evidence synthesis. As health systems increasingly require agile responses, rapid reviews offer a way to meet urgent evidence needs without compromising quality. This discussion will emphasize how emerging technologies and methodologies are transforming rapid synthesis to better support timely policy decisions.

PN31 - Topic Selection For HTA: An Overlooked Step In Decision-Making And Priority-setting In LMIC?

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Katrine Frønsdal, Mouna Jameleddine, Tarang Sharma

Summary: In settings with constraint healthcare budgets, where HTA is emerging or not yet institutionalized, it is important to have well-defined processes for Topic Identification, Selection, and Prioritization (TISP). The panel presents the concept of TISP, with examples and tools relevant for LMIC, and invites the audience to discuss how to increase attention around explicit TISP processes, and how the TISP process can be best integrated when institutionalizing HTA in LMIC.

PN32 - Is Consensus The Key To Patient Engagement In HTA? Insights From A Delphi Panel On PICO Scoping

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 17 | 17.30 to 18.30

Presenters: Emanuele Arca, Valentina Strammiello, Andrea Alcaraz, Antoine Daher

Summary: This panel explores appropriate methodologies for patient engagement in Health Technology Assessment (HTA). Panelists will discuss best practices for meaningful patient involvement, focusing on refining recruitment strategies and building scalable, cross-geographical models. Insights from a European Delphi project on PICO scoping and a simulation exercise with SMA patients will highlight effective methodologies and practical learnings to avoid tokenism in HTA.

PN33 - Evaluating Digital Health Innovations In Hospital Settings

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 17 | 08.30 to 09.30

Presenters: Rossella Di Bidino, Iga Lipska, Emmanouil Tsiasiotis, Maurizio Mattoli Chiavarelli

Summary: Hospitals play a crucial role in the implementation of Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) in clinical practice, making a hospital-based assessment (HB-HTA) essential. This panel will explore hospitals' experiences across different countries and continents, identifying their needs and requirements to ensure timely and effective evaluations.

PN34 - Operationalizing Lifecycle Health Technology Assessment: Practical Approaches For Adaptive Health Technology Decision-Making

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 17 | 08.30 to 09.30

Presenters: Ramiro Gilardino, Meindert Boysen, Nicole Mittmann, Jani Mueller

Summary: Discover practical strategies for implementing Lifecycle Health Technology Assessment (LC-HTA) across diverse healthcare systems. This session unites perspectives from HTA agencies, industry, and emerging organizations to explore adaptive approaches, operational challenges, and solutions, providing attendees with actionable insights to tailor LC-HTA to evolving health technology needs.

PN35 - Establishing Principles For The Use Of Qualitative Data In Health Technology Assessment

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 17 | 08.30 to 09.30

Presenters: Sophie Werkö, Luciana Holtz, Andrea Brígida, Lidewij Vat

Summary: Join this impactful session exploring how qualitative evidence can enhance health technology assessments (HTA) by capturing patient perspectives in meaningful ways. Engage with experts as they discuss the distinctions between patient-based evidence and patient input, existing methodologies, and offer guiding principles for balancing qualitative and quantitative data. An interactive discussion will encourage audience engagement in shaping global principles for the use of qualitative data, fostering innovation and supporting global collaboration.

PN36 - Health Equity & "Medical Deserts": The Role Of Technology And HTA Methods On Improving Health Equity

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 17 | 08.30 to 09.30

Presenters: Richard Charter, Ann Single, Anastasia Chalkidou, Scott Tackett

Summary: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been proven to improve health outcomes, and lower the total cost of care when compared to traditional open surgery. Despite this, research on the emergence of MIS “deserts” demonstrate that underserved populations are not benefiting from innovative MIS procedures, and health systems are not reaping the improved cost structure. HTA decision making can mitigate this by more concretely considering health equity in its evaluation methods.

PN37 - AI-Powered Innovations For Systematic Reviews And Health Technology Assessments: Transforming The Future Of Evidence Synthesis

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 17 | 08.30 to 09.30

Presenters: Ariel Bardach, Lisa Tjosvold, Gabriel Rada, Ranita Tarchand

Summary: This panel explores AI's role in transforming Systematic Reviews and Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) in a rapidly evolving research landscape. Experts will discuss AI's potential to enhance evidence synthesis, streamline processes, and foster human-AI collaboration. Participants will gain insights and hands-on experience with AI tools, aligning with the "NexGen Evidence" theme to ensure HTA remains relevant amidst global demands for timely and accurate evidence.

PN38 - Early HTA For Developing And Evaluating Complex Childhood Mental Health Interventions

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 17 | 08.30 to 09.30

Presenters: Kathleen Boyd, Yanga Nokhepheyi, Eleanor Grieve, Erika Abril Seyahian

Summary: HTA can provide a value case for investment in preventative child mental health interventions, yet the use of economic evaluation in this context has been relatively limited. This session will explore the importance of early HTA for assessing childhood mental health interventions, highlighting the benefits of early economic considerations as well as the inherent complexities and challenges.

PN39 - Finding Common Ground: Collaboration to Solve ‘Wicked’ Problems

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 17 | 08.30 to 09.30

Presenters: TBC

Summary: Panel discussion hosted by the HTAi Asia Policy Forum

PN40 - Breaking Down The Black Box And Building Together: Patient Engagement In Economic Modeling

Date & Time: Wednesday, June 17 | 08.30 to 09.30

Presenters: Marina Richardson, Kednapa Thavorn, Eric Low, Kyle Hvidsten

Summary: This panel will bring together the economic modeling and patient communities to share ideas, perspectives, and success stories for involving patients in cost-effectiveness analysis. Perspectives on priorities and practical implications of engagement will be debated to ensure the next generation of participation in economic modeling is achieved.

PN41 - Medical Devices NextGen Evidence Assessment: Overcoming Challenges And Proposing Solutions