HERC Seminar: Use of Rapid Reviews in Health Technology Assessment Processes – Effective or Impractical? A Review of the Irish System & Lessons for Others

Abstract

Introduction: As the pace of health technology innovations increases greater pressure is placed on HTA agencies to review and make recommendations promptly. One response to this pressure is the use of Rapid Reviews (RRs).  As part of the HTA system RRs can support decision making in an environment with increasing competing demands by synthesising evidence to support informed decisions in a timely manner, without sacrificing scientific rigor. Since 2009 all new drugs in Ireland are first subject to a RR. After which a full HTA may or may not be required.  The objective of this study is to examine what factors determine the outcome of a rapid review, i.e. if a full HTA is recommended or not.

Methods: Data on drug evaluations from 2009 to 2016 were extracted from the NCPE websites. A logit regression was employed to determine the factors influencing the outcome of the rapid review, i.e. the recommendation for a full HTA.

Results: All drugs for which a RR only was required were recommended for reimbursement. Odds of a full HTA being request increase for drugs which were first in class, neoplasms and in musculoskeletal therapeutic areas and those submitted in later years.

Conclusions: Since Rapid Review process was introduced there has been a change in the type of drugs for which submissions are being made. While introduced to speed up decision making, they may not be causing delays for which a full HTA is inevitable.

Short Bio

Dr Aileen Murphy is a lecturer in the Department of Economics, UCC. She completed her PhD on Economic Evaluations at the University of Glasgow and has a MEconSc and BComm from UCC. Her research interests include economic evaluations, Health Technology Assessment, decision analytical modelling and value of information analysis. She has advised the NHS in Scotland (SHTG), NIHR HTA Programme in the UK, Irish Department of Health and European Commission on health economic issues. She lectures on economics, health economics – specifically economic evaluations at undergrad and postgraduate level in UCC – and supervises postgraduate, doctoral and postdoctoral candidates. In addition, Dr Murphy has served as a referee for the National Institute for Health Research Evaluation, NHS, UK as well as several renowned peer reviewed publications (Health Economics, BMC research etc.) and is Editor in Chief at the Northern European Edition of Global and Regional Health Technology Assessment.