International collaborations and activities on health technology assessment
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NOMA participates in a number of international networks to standardize and improve the systematic evaluation of medical products, i.e. health technology assessments. Our international activities aim to address shared challenges in Europe and globally.
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Participation in global networks
Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi)
Founded in 2003, HTAi is a professional society open to anyone with interest in HTA, including HTA bodies, decision-makers, patient organizations, clinicians, and industry. HTAi encourages the use of existing HTAs internationally. Its main annual event is the HTAi conference.
HTAi has several interest groups that focus on important issues, for example patient involvement, information retrieval, early awareness of technologies and disinvestment of less or non-effective medical products, as well as HTA in low- and middle-income countries. Several NOMA employees participate in HTAi interest groups.
HTAi Global Policy Forum
HTAi arranges the annual Global Policy Forum. This forum provides the opportunity for strategic discussions about the present state of HTA, its development and implications for health systems, industry, patients and other stakeholders. NOMA is a member of the forum and has two representatives in the meetings.
International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI)
Based in Belgium and established in 2019, IHSI is a not-for-profit collaboration for horizon scanning. The goal is to establish a joint horizon scanning system for pharmaceutical products. In 2024, nine countries participate in this collaboration, including Norway. Norwegian participating organizations are The Norwegian Hospital Procurement Trust (Sykehusinnkjøp HF) and NOMA. Our participation in the initiative is intended to reduce resources devoted to the national early awareness and alert system in the long term.
IHSI Medical Devices Working Group
In 2021, IHSI has contracted the Emergency Care Research Institute for international horizon scanning for pharmaceuticals. In parallel, the collaboration has established the IHSI Medical Devices Working Group seeking to explore the possibility of expanding the system to also involve medical devices. The group is led by the National Health Care Institute in the Netherlands (Zorginstituut Nederland) and NOMA.
Collaborations in Europe
NOMA has a longstanding history of collaboration with European partners, including joint assessment of clinical effectiveness and safety, exchange of scientific methods and improving methodology, skills and expertise in order to achieve more efficient access to high quality healthcare in and across European countries.
European Network for Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA)
There has been European collaboration on HTA since 2006 in several project periods. EUnetHTA Joint Action 3 (2016–2021) included more than 80 participating organizations from 30 countries, including Norway and NOMA.
EUnetHTA Joint Action 3 was succeeded by EUnetHTA 21, a consortium of 13 European partners including NOMA (2021–2023) who built their work on previous joint actions. The main aim was to support and prepare a future HTA system under the HTA regulation (see below).
Coordination Group on Health Technology Assessment (HTACG)
HTACG was established in 2022 as a coordinating and decision-making group that manages the collaboration under HTAR. It is composed mainly of representatives of HTA authorities and bodies in all EU and EEA countries. Norway is represented by the Regional Health Authorities and NOMA.
NOMA is involved in the following subgroups that support and operationalize the work of HTACG:
- Joint Clinical Assessments (preparation of HTAs on relative effectiveness and safety)
- Joint Scientific Consultations with manufacturers before clinical studies are initiated
- Identification of Emerging Health Technologies (horizon scanning; identification of new technologies that may be relevant for joint clinical assessments)
- Development of Methodological and Procedural Guidance
Heads of Agencies Group (HAG)
The HAG is a collaborative network with over 30 European healthcare agencies from more than 20 participating countries. Its main purposes are to advance strategic collaboration in HTA and support the European Commission, HTACG, and national systems in preparing for the implementation of HTAR. NOMA is a member of the HAG and leads the working group for communication.
European HTA Regulation
The HTA Regulation lays the foundation for cooperation on joint health technology assessments within the European Union and European Economic Area.
Nordic collaborations
Joint Nordic HTA-Bodies (JNHB)
Joint Nordic HTA-Bodies (formerly known as FINOSE) is a collaboration that includes the Danish Medicines Council, the Finnish Medicines Agency, Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland, the Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency in Sweden and NOMA. The JNHB collaboration concerns only pharmaceutical products.
Nordic HTA Network
The Nordic HTA Network is a collaboration between NOMA, the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Social Services, the Danish Healthcare Quality Institute, the Finnish Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment, and the Council for Choices in Health Care in Finland on medical devices, procedures, and other non-pharmaceutical technologies.
The Nordic HTA Network has been established to facilitate knowledge-sharing among Nordic organizations with the purpose to streamline HTAs on a national level and between the Nordic countries.