Implementing Health Technology Assessments in Latin America: Looking at the Past, Mirroring the Future. A Perspective from the ISPOR Health Technology Assessment Roundtable in Latin America

• Published in: Value in health regional issues 2020-12, Vol.23, p.6-12
• Main Authors: Gilardino, Ramiro E., Mejía, Aurelio, Guarín, Diego, Rey-Ares, Lucila, Perez, Ana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: health technology assessment; Latin America; national health insurance; risk sharing agreements
• ISSN: 2212-1099; 2212-1102
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2019.10.002

In the last two decades, several countries in Latin America (LA) have shown an interest in developing health technology assessments (HTAs), but the process has not been uniform and has often been challenged by the health systems characteristics and the political or economic idiosyncrasies of these countries. This article summarizes the discussions held by the participants at the 40th ISPOR HTA Council Roundtable for LA. An additional literature review was carried out to support some of the concepts included. This article includes a brief description of the implementation of HTA over the last 30 years and then a conceptual analysis using examples of the broader use of HTA to support procurement decisions and risk-sharing agreements, which might play a future role in healthcare priority-setting in LA. Formerly, HTA processes and methods played important although mostly isolated roles (with drug licensing or reimbursement being examples of this). Nowadays, with more and more innovative technologies and the establishment of value frameworks to support the priority setting in healthcare, HTA features a promising panorama for the health systems sustainability. •Several countries in Latin America have shown an interest in developing health technology assessments (HTAs), but the implementation has not been uniform and has faced challenges because of health system characteristics and the political or economic contexts.•Moving systematic reviews and synthesis beyond clinical, epidemiologic, and economic research into qualitative and quantitative research in patient-, caregiver-, and citizen-generated information (such as perceptions, valuation, and outcomes) is an immediate need in HTA in the region.•In LA countries where HTA has been established, it is reaching a mature state, which offers a benchmark for countries where the process is still under development.•HTA in LA has been widely applied to support the coverage and reimbursement decisions of emergent and established medical technologies.•The development of innovative technologies and the establishment of value frameworks to support the priority setting in healthcare, centralized purchase, and risk-sharing agreements, suggests a promising panorama for the use of HTA in the context of the health systems sustainability.