Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8kt4b Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-21T18:47:57.122Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

International survey on attitudes toward ethics in health technology assessment: An exploratory study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2011

Luis E. Arellano ,
Jeffrey M. Willett  and
Pascal Borry
Luis E. Arellano
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Jeffrey M. Willett
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Pascal Borry
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this exploratory study was to survey international health technology assessment (HTA) professionals to determine attitudes toward ethics in HTA.

Methods: An exploratory, quantitative, cross-sectional study design was developed. The sample population (n = 636) was selected from authors of the 206 articles published in the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care between 2005 and 2007. A survey instrument was piloted and e-mailed.

Results: The response rate was low (n = 104; 16.4 percent). Respondents were primarily middle-aged (46 ± 11 years) male (62 percent) health professionals from Western countries (n = 92; 88.5 percent), with a mean of 10 (± 6 years) years of HTA experience. Although at least 90 percent of respondents agreed that healthcare decisions involved value judgments and that ethical analysis was important to HTA, respondents were divided as to whether normative (n = 45; 44.6 percent) or descriptive (n = 38; 37.6 percent) ethical recommendations were necessary. Most respondents (n = 83; 81.4 percent) believed that HTA should include citizen participation, but two thirds (n = 67; 67.0 percent) agreed that the final decision should be restricted to decision makers. A majority of respondents thought that ethical analysis could be discussed anywhere within the HTA process, either by an expert trained in ethics (n = 62; 60.8 percent) or by an external consultant (n = 80; 78.4 percent).

Conclusions: This study showed that ethical discourse in HTA is constrained by practical considerations, which serves to limit moral inquiry. To increase ethical analysis, a positive attitude toward ethics needs to be fostered within the HTA community.

Keywords

BioethicsHealth technology assessmentInternational survey
Type
ASSESSMENTS
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 27 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 50 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Autti-Ramo, I, Makela, M. Ethical evaluation in health technology assessment reports: An eclectic approach. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2007;23:1–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Busse, R, Orvain, J, Velasco, M, et al. Best practice in undertaking and reporting health technology assessments. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2002;18:316–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Dickenson, D, Vineis, P. Evidence-based medicine and quality of care. Health Care Anal. 2002;10:243–259.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. European Network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA). WP4 – HTA core model for medical and surgical interventions. First draft (revised – work in progress): July 2007.Google Scholar
5. Hofmann, BM. Why ethics should be part of health technology assessment. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2008;24:423–429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Hofmann, B. Toward a procedure for integrating moral issues in health technology assessment. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2005;21:312–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA). Handling ethical issues in INAHTA agencies: INAHTA Newsletter 2003 (Mar);XI(1).Google Scholar
8. INAHTA Ethics Working Group. INAHTA'S working group on handling ethical issues. Final Report: June 2005.Google Scholar
9. Kirsten, FL, Karsenberg, K, Hummel, M, Bueno-de-Mesquita, J, van Harten, W. Methodology of constructive technology assessment in health care. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2007;23:162–168.Google Scholar
10. Lehoux, P, Williams-Jones, B. Mapping in the integration of social and ethical issues in health technology assessment. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2007;23:9–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. van der Wilt, J, Reuzel, R, Banta, D. The ethics of assessing health technologies. Theor Med Bioeth. 2000;21:103–115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Vineis, P. Evidence-based medicine and ethics: A practical approach. J Med Ethics. 2004;30:126–130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed