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Moving cautiously: Public involvement and the health technology assessment community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2011

François-Pierre Gauvin ,
Julia Abelson ,
Mita Giacomini ,
John Eyles  and
John N. Lavis
François-Pierre Gauvin
Affiliation:
Institut national de santé publique du Québec
Julia Abelson
Affiliation:
McMaster University and Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis
Mita Giacomini
Affiliation:
McMaster University
John Eyles
Affiliation:
McMaster University
John N. Lavis
Affiliation:
McMaster University and McMaster Health Forum
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Abstract

Objectives: This study explores the factors that enhance or reduce the prospects for public involvement in the activities of health technology assessment (HTA) agencies.

Methods: The analytical framework for this study is based on the work of John W. Kingdon, which provides a comprehensive synthesis of the factors influencing governments and public organizations' agenda. The study draws insights from forty-two semistructured telephone interviews with informants involved in international HTA networks and/or in HTA agencies in Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.

Results: This exploratory study suggests that the HTA community is moving toward greater public involvement. However, the HTA community remains cautious and ambivalent about the technical feasibility of public involvement, its acceptability to policy makers and practitioners, and its impacts on HTA agencies' resources and procedures.

Conclusions: The study stresses the importance of conducting rigorous and compelling evaluations to inform HTA agencies' decision to adopt, or reject, public involvement practices.

Keywords

Consumer participationTechnology assessmentCanadaDenmarkUnited Kingdom
Type
ASSESSMENTS
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 27 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 43 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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References

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