Health Technology Assessment E-Module

People living with cancer and their carers best understand the need for new therapies and their impact on quality of life. The European Cancer Patient Coalition has launched an online education (e-learning) module for patient organisations and patient advocates. Their unique knowledge, perspectives and experiences are crucial in determining the value of new treatments in the Health Technology Assessment (HTA). The module aims to equip our members and broader patient community with knowledge for participating in the HTA of cancer treatments. The module covers a range of information from the process for developing medicines and their examination as part of the HTA, why cancer treatments might be reimbursed in some countries but not in others, and how cancer patient organisations can get involved in the HTA. The module also covers the recent legislative developments on the HTA at the EU level and the importance of involvement of patient organisations and patient advocates in the HTA.

If you represent one of ECPC’s member organisations, we encourage you to share this e-learning tool with your colleagues. If you are affected by cancer and you wish to get involved, we encourage you to contact one of our members in your country, the contact details of whom you can find in our members’ database. National patient organisations should try to build a relationship with relevant organisations in their countries, using the skills learned in this e-learning module, even in countries where there is no formal HTA process yet, to ensure they are informed about the importance and opportunities of including patients in the assessment. Use knowledge gained in this tool coupled with your unique experience as a cancer patient to provide expert input to an appraisal committee or submit evidence as part of a patient group submission (visit the link below to find a template for submitting data).

Participating in an HTA can be challenging and time consuming but is a real opportunity to influence the delivery of healthcare and to help determine whether treatments are made available to patients. Please take a moment to answer a short evaluation survey to help us understand how to improve on this and future e-learning modules.