This report examines how data and methodological practices in health technology assessment (HTA) can be redesigned to better account for health equity. It synthesizes findings from multi-stakeholder engagement and analysis to identify where current HTA practices fall short in representing the needs and experiences of diverse patient populations, especially those historically marginalized. Key themes include:
- Equity-centered data practices: The need to collect, stratify, and use data that rely solely on traditional clinical or payer-focused datasets.
- Methodological adaptation: Calls for broader use of mixed methods, qualitative approaches, and analytic techniques that recognize economic, social, and behavioral determinants of value and disparities.
- Actionable guidance: Framework elements and recommendations for HTA practitioners to integrate equity into study design, evidence appraisal, and decision modeling.
- Implementation barriers and opportunities: Discussion of data gaps, infrastructure challenges, and the urgency of advancing equity-focused methods even when ideal data are not yet available.
In essence, the report advocates that better data and methods are essential to ensure HTA contributes to reducing—not perpetuating—health disparities and inequities in healthcare.
