ASOG explores the advancement of Health Technology Assessment in the Philippines

The Ateneo School of Government, through the Ateneo Policy Center (APC), organized a hybrid forum titled “Health Technology Assessment: Trends and Transformations" on 15 August 2024. The forum explored the evolving landscape of healthcare assessment (HTA) and its implications for healthcare decision-making and policy-making. It emphasized HTA as a "method of discernment" for evaluating health interventions applicable to both government and academic settings. The event also sparked a vibrant discussion among participants, delving into the implications of recent health policy developments, such as the proposed amendments to the UHC and recent budget hearings, and systemic limitations in healthcare on HTA, as well as the integration of HTA into educational curricula.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go, APC Senior Research Fellow, highlighted the importance of evidence-based strategies for informing health policy and decision-making. He stressed that HTA must be contextualized to ensure its effectiveness throughout the healthcare system. Additionally, Dr. Hartigan-Go urged participants to avoid politicizing HTA, a recurring challenge in the country.

Dr. Jeremie E. de Guzman, Assistant Vice President for Research Evaluation and Monitoring at St. Luke’s Medical Center’s Health Equity and Research (HERE) Foundation, delivered an in-depth presentation on HTA. He broke down the definitions of HTA, highlighting that health technologies encompass more than just biotechnologies and medical devices, extending to health systems interventions as well. Dr. de Guzman also discussed emerging trends in HTA, such as equity, real-world evidence, and health benefits package (HBP) design. Additionally, he addressed the challenges in the field and strategies for overcoming them.

Dr. de Guzman emphasized that HTA is accessible to everyone, not just government institutions, and encouraged participants to support HTA as well as the ongoing efforts of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) in the Philippines. 

The forum was attended in-person and online by representatives from national and sub-national government agencies, the private sector, academe, professional associations, and international development organizations.