HTA DIVISION

HTA TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT UNIT

The HTA Division Technical Secretariat shall provide the HTA Council with the proper advice and resources for discharging its duties under the UHC Law.  It shall have the following specific functions and responsibilities:

  1. Develop, review, and update the process guide.
  2. Prepare the agenda of the HTAC Core and Subcommittee meetings for approval of the Core Committee and Subcommittee Chairs.
  3. Receive topic nominations from different stakeholders ensuring that submissions adhere to the templates and requirements set in the Process Guide.
  4. Ensure that the HTAC discussions, agreements, directives, recommendations, decisions and other actions are accurately documented through audio recording and minutes of the meetings, and stored in an easily retrievable manner for authorized users.
  5. Plan, organize, control and set into operation the activities related to the conduct of meetings of the HTAC and ensure the accurate and faithful preparation of the minutes, reports or directives in accordance with the agreements and intentions of the Core Committee and its Subcommittees.
  6. Take stock of past and existing HTAC decisions, policies, recommendations, directives and resolutions and relate these to present matters under HTAC consideration.
  7. Prepare and store Committee/Subcommittee reports and summaries on recommendations to be signed by the members of HTAC ensuring that they are in compliance with relevant laws and internal rules and policies of the HTAC.
  8. Serve as the custodian of relevant documents and material including the minutes of the meetings and signed reports/recommendations by the HTAC.
  9. Guide the HTAC on the rules of procedure and ensure fidelity that such are during the conduct of HTAC meetings.
  10. Coordinate with health technology sponsors (for additional information or documents as requested by the HTAC) from the different DOH programs, other statutory bodies, health professional bodies, hospitals, therapeutics committees, patient organizations and industry.

HTA POLICY, PLANNING AND EVALUATION UNIT

The HTA  Policy, Planning and Evaluation (PPE) Unit is responsible for the overall management of the health technology assessment and appraisal program.  It has the following specific functions:

  1. Develop, review and update Methods Guide.
  2. Conduct and manage internal and external assessments in accordance with the methods and process guide. This includes production technology appraisal reports and communicating them to HTA stakeholders.
  3. Coordinate with health technology proponents (for scoping and additional evidence needed in the assessment process) from the different DOH programs, other statutory bodies, health professional bodies, hospitals, therapeutics committees, patient organizations and the industry.
  4. Produce and communicate technology appraisal reports for different audiences including policy-makers, health care professionals, patients and the public.
  5. Track the progress of appraisals and ensure that they are carried out in accordance with the standard methods, process and timelines.
  6. Liaise with the external assessment teams, expert and patient consultants and peer reviewers from scoping of the assessments to the preparation of the HTA reports for the HTAC.
  7. Manage all other HTA-related initiatives and projects.
  8. Create the overall HTA strategic action plan framework for tracking the progress of the whole HTA process.