Decision-Oriented Health Technology Assessment: One Step Forward in Supporting the Decision-Making Process in Hospitals

ObjectivesThis article outlines the Decision-Oriented Health Technology Assessment: a new implementation of the European network for Health Technology Assessment Core Model, integrating the multicriteria decision-making analysis by using the analytic hierarchy process to introduce a standardized methodological approach as a valued and shared tool to support health care decision making within a hospital.MethodsFollowing the Core Model as guidance (European network for Health Technology Assessment. HTA core model for medical and surgical interventions. Available from: http://www.eunethta.eu/outputs/hta-core-model-medical-and-surgical-interventions-10r. Accessed May 27, 2014]), it is possible to apply the analytic hierarchy process to break down a problem into its constituent parts and identify priorities (i.e., assigning a weight to each part) in a hierarchical structure. Thus, it quantitatively compares the importance of multiple criteria in assessing health technologies and how the alternative technologies perform in satisfying these criteria. The verbal ratings are translated into a quantitative form by using the Saaty scale (Saaty TL. Decision making with the analytic hierarchy process. Int J Serv Sci 2008;1:83–98). An eigenvectors analysis is used for deriving the weights’ systems (i.e., local and global weights’ system) that reflect the importance assigned to the criteria and the priorities related to the performance of the alternative technologies.ResultsCompared with the Core Model, this methodological approach supplies a more timely as well as contextualized evidence for a specific technology, making it possible to obtain data that are more relevant and easier to interpret, and therefore more useful for decision makers to make investment choices with greater awareness.ConclusionsWe reached the conclusion that although there may be scope for improvement, this implementation is a step forward toward the goal of building a “solid bridge” between the scientific evidence and the final decision maker’s choice.