– Funding from Commonwealth Fund supports a broad based initiative exploring potential changes in all HTA methods, from patient engagement to technical analyses, that can best advance the goal of health equity –

–  Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group formed to ensure that diverse perspectives guide the overall program –

BOSTON, July 11, 2022 – The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has received a new grant from The Commonwealth Fund to evaluate procedural and methodological changes that could further support health equity goals in health technology assessment (HTA). The findings from this effort will guide ICER’s update to its value assessment framework and inform the work of other HTA groups worldwide.  

“Our goal is to identify best practices where possible to guide HTA in the US and create the conditions for accelerating the use of HTA to support society’s goal of improving health equity,” said ICER President Steven Pearson, MD, MSc. “HTA often serves as a filter through which evidence is judged and given context for policymakers making decisions about pricing, access, and payment in the health care system.  How should we handle questions about which topics to review, how to reach diverse voices in the patient community, how to interpret data that often lacks adequate representation of people of color and other minority groups, and how to help highlight opportunities to address elements that contribute to the disparities in access and outcomes that persist in our health care system – and our society – today?  That’s what this project is about.  It will serve as our own deeper dive into how we as an organization can improve, and we intend it to provide a benchmark for other HTA groups seeking to understand and improve health equity.  Given the seminal reckoning with historical racism and other forms of discrimination that is underway in this country, there is an urgent need to explore the ethical tensions inherent in HTA and assure that the best methods to support health equity are advanced.”

As part of this project ICER will convene a senior advisory group – consisting of patient advocates, payers, HTA and policy experts – to provide guidance and feedback on all aspects of the project.  The advisory group includes:

  • Rebekah Angove, Executive Vice President, Research and Evaluation; Director, Patient Insight Institute, Patient Advocate Foundation
  • Linda Goler Blount, President and CEO, Black Women’s Health Imperative
  • Stacey Kowal, Principal, Health Policy & Systems Research, Genentech
  • Isiah Lineberry, Executive Director, Harrisburg Family Health Care
  • Megan McIntyre, Vice President, Pharmacy and Clinical Consulting, Premera Blue Cross
  • Praveen Thokala, Senior Research Fellow, School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield
  • Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, CEO, International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis

The project will culminate in a White Paper and a series of public dissemination efforts in March 2023.

About ICER

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is an independent non-profit research institute that produces reports analyzing the evidence on the effectiveness and value of drugs and other medical services. ICER’s reports include evidence-based calculations of prices for new drugs that accurately reflect the degree of improvement expected in long-term patient outcomes, while also highlighting price levels that might contribute to unaffordable short-term cost growth for the overall health care system.