Please cite this article in press as: Velasco Garrido M, et al. Developing Health Technology Assessment to address health care system needs. Health Policy (2009), doi:10.1016/j.healthpol.2009.10.002 ARTICLE IN PRESS G Model HEAP-2411; No. of Pages 7 Health Policy xxx (2009) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Health Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/healthpol Review article Developing Health Technology Assessment to address health care system needs Marcial Velasco Garrido a,* , Ansgar Gerhardus b , John-Arne Røttingen c , Reinhard Busse a a Department of Healthcare Management, Technische Universität Berlin, Secr. H 80, Strasse des 17 Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany b Department of Epidemiology & International Public Health, University of Bielefeld, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany c Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, 0130 Oslo, Norway article info Keywords: Evidence-based Health care Healthcare management Health policy Health Technology Assessment abstract This article discusses the development of Heath Technology Assessment methods and HTA institutions, in regards to meeting the information needs of all levels and fields of health policy-making. On the one hand, HTA needs to expand and develop its methods. Although health products and health care services have been its preponderant focus to date, HTA should develop to increase its focus on the “technologies applied to health care” (i.e. the regulatory and policy measures for managing and organizing health care systems) and on policies in non-health care sectors. Such a knowledge synthesis for health policy should not necessarily be called HTA or conducted by narrowly defined HTA agencies. How- ever, the trends observed in several European HTA agencies indicate the recognition of these development needs. Countries embarking on HTA should not consider establishing separate agencies for HTA, quality development, performance measurement, and health services development, but should rather combine these functions and goals into a com- mon knowledge strategy for evidence-informed decision-making on health care and the health system. © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 00 2. Health technologies in the health system .......................................................................................... 00 3. Expansion of methodological approaches .......................................................................................... 00 4. Broadening the scope ............................................................................................................... 00 5. Institutional/structural expansion .................................................................................................. 00 6. Final remarks ........................................................................................................................ 00 Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................. 00 References ........................................................................................................................... 00 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 30 31428420; fax: +49 30 31428433. E-mail address: marcial.velasco@tu-berlin.de (M. Velasco Garrido). 1. Introduction Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is the “multidis- ciplinary field of policy analysis that studies the medical, social, ethical, and economic implications of development, diffusion, and use of health technology” [1]. Using the health system as a starting point, this article first provides a 0168-8510/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.healthpol.2009.10.002