Health Technology Assessment in Kazakhstan
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Health Technology Assessment in Kazakhstan Valikhan Akhmetov Institute of Health Care Development, Ministry of Health, Astana, Kazakhstan
Abstract
There is a necessity for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) to be implemented and further developed in Kazakhstan. HTA plays an essential role in modern healthcare by supporting evidence-based decision making in healthcare policy and practice. It also provides high-quality information about the clinical effectiveness, costeffectiveness and broader impact of drugs and medical technologies. This article describes the purpose of HTA, then goes on to look at the objectives and benefits for the national healthcare system after a successful implementation.
Health Technology Assessment (HTA), with its three components of structure, process and results is, in my personal opinion, the basis for providing quality medical services. However, currently the HTA process does not work properly within the existing healthcare system of Kazakhstan because of the lack of a legal basis for effective function. Several factors necessitate the introduction of an HTA quality system in Kazakhstan; these include:
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existing methodologies for quality control in healthcare are not used as mechanisms for increasing safety, access or efficiencies in medical care;
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indicators of the quality of healthcare delivery do not have an impact on the remuneration of medical personnel, and as a result health institutions are not sufficiently motivated in terms of the effective use of resources;
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evidence-based medicine has yet to become a significant factor influencing the quality of healthcare.
Growth in the use of the HTA approach is likely to come about by: 1. the growing number of available technologies; 2. a sharp increase in the volume of information on the methods of prophylaxis, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of various types; 3. the changing nature of disease and, therefore, the character of the resultant medical interventions (e.g. the increased use of long term or lifelong interventions with minor effect).[1]
1. What is Health Technology Assessment (HTA)? HTA is a systematic and formalized approach encompassing the following activities: • investigation and assessment of the information available on health technologies (methods of diagnosis, medicine utilization, prophylaxis and rehabilitation); • preparation of specialized reports (with guidelines on their use); • planning of scientific research to add further knowledge. As a result, medications, technologies, nonpharmacological treatments (including surgery), methods of diagnosis, and medical techniques, products and equipment are all possible areas for assessment. The purpose of the assessment is to identify standards that can act as a control system for measuring quality within medical organizations.[2] The objectives of HTA are as follows: • identification of optimal technologies for prophylaxis, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilit
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