Abstract Chapter 15

Chapter 15 illustrates the national HTA program for medical technologies. Managing the adoption and diffusion of technological innovation is a key challenge for healthcare professionals in Italy. In 2015, a Steering Committee was established at the General Directorate of Drugs and Medical Devices of the Department of Health, involving Italian regions, the Italian Drug Agency and the National Agency for Regional Healthcare Services (Age.Na.S.). The Steering Committee launched the National Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Program for Medical Devices, a network coordinated by Age.Na.S. aimed at promoting the use of HTA tools and safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness principles in the evaluation of medical technologies. In order to promote the active participation of institutions and stakeholders, the Steering Committee established three work groups focusing respectively on: definition of recommendations, methods and monitoring of the national program. The second of these work groups, called “Methods, training and communication”, started in March 2017 to collectively define methods and tools to apply on a limited set of technologies undergoing assessment selected for a pilot phase. CERGAS Bocconi, together with other organizations, was involved in the task. The National HTA Program is developing as a comprehensive and structured system including monitoring, links with downstream healthcare policies such as procurement and reimbursement, and based on a bottom-up inclusive methodology.