Alexandria, VA – March 8, 2023 – The Innovation and Value Initiative (IVI), a non-profit research organization committed to advancing the science, practice, and use of health technology assessment (HTA) in healthcare, released their Health Equity Initiative (HEI) Update – Synthesis of Cross-Stakeholder Insights. The report is part of IVI’s multi-year Health Equity Initiative, guided with the partnership of a cross-sector Health Equity Initiative Steering Committee.

“We’re privileged to provide a collaboration forum that facilitates solution-focused discourse to help stakeholders measure and make decisions about the value of health technology, with equity as the primary lens,” noted Jennifer Bright, IVI Chief Strategy and Engagement Officer. “Stakeholders need to lean into the complex changes required to make certain that HTA is patient-centered and equity-focused.”

After intensive dialogue with patients, caregivers, researchers, payers, industry, and employers, IVI identified four key domains impacting the ability to incorporate equity in HTA. This framework helped concentrate consensus-building discussions that both reflects and upholds equity in decision-making.

  • Power, People, and Processes: Rebalance power to emphasize the importance of the patient perspective at the foundation is fundamental to making sure equity is a prioritized goal during the research process, also factoring in health technology assessment.
  • Communications and Use: Transparency and inclusion should serve as a guide for action. It’s important to see how results and limitations of HTA are communicated to impacted communities (patients, families, and caregivers), as well as decision-makers (payers, purchasers, and clinicians).
  • Data, Inputs, and Infrastructure: Identify representative sources of data, stressing the importance of using and developing real-world evidence to address the lack of representation in clinical data, transparency of data limitations and potential selection bias as part of the analysis.
  • Methods: Prioritize practices and tools to elevate HTA equity considerations and long-term areas for investment and collaboration in healthcare research organizations.

Bright explains that there are several successful outcomes when IVI’s research “gets it right” and centers HTA in health equity. “We can identify and prioritize gaps in the understanding of patient and caregiver needs, as well as elevate discussion and action on key drivers that impact health outcomes,” she says. “We have a better understanding about what health technologies offer better results and eliminate disparities in outcomes for people and why.”

The framework, and the action recommendations emerging from this work, uphold IVI’s core principles: patient-centricity, transparency, and equity.

Link to Report: Health Equity Initiative (HEI) Update – Synthesis of Cross-Stakeholder Insights

The 4th Annual IVI Methods Summit, “Rewriting the Playbook on Health Technology Assessment: The Role of Equity and Economic Impacts on Patients and Families,” is a complimentary, two-day, hybrid event scheduled for March 13-14, 2023, in Washington, D.C. This year’s Summit will put IVI’s principles into motion through sessions focused on productive and intentional dialogue centered on HTA and health equity.

Register here for the 4th Annual IVI Methods Summit.

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About IVI
The Innovation and Value Initiative (IVI) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit research organization dedicated to advancing the science and improving the practice of health technology assessment through development of novel methods and the creation and application of enhanced health technology assessment models to support local decision-making needs in healthcare.

Contact: Smita Sanwardeker
Phone: 267.909.7661
E-Mail: smita.sanwardeker@thevalueinitiative.org