Health technology assessment activities to be reformed to meet current needs 

 Finland will reform and strengthen its health technology assessment (HTA) activities. As part of the reform, the expertise and resources concerning HTA activities will be pooled into a single competence cluster. 

The reform aims to introduce effective and cost-efficient technologies in accordance with a uniform set of grounds throughout the country. At the same time, treatments and examinations that are only of little use in light of current knowledge can be discontinued.  
 
HTA activities are currently fragmented in Finland, and technology assessment is used inconsistently in decision-making. The reform is necessary to ensure that HTA activities genuinely support decision-making and the available resources can be allocated to effective and timely measures.  
 
HTA is a systematic way of producing assessments that draw on research data, such as assessments of the effectiveness, safety and cost-efficiency of treatments, medicinal products, medical devices, screenings and services.  
 
HTA data supports decision-making at various levels. It can be used when providing national guidance, defining the service choices and making decisions on the prices and reimbursement status of pharmacotherapies and when wellbeing services counties make procurements, arrange competitive tendering and allocate resources.  
 
The reform of HTA activities is based on the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government.  
 
A report on HTA activities has now been published, providing an up-to-date picture of the HTA field in Finland, i.e. actors, resources, assessment processes and capabilities. The report will be used to create national assessment practices that are clear and effective. 

Inquiries:

Hanna-Mari Jauhonen, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 29 516 3060, firstname.lastname@gov.fi