HTAs Fail to Address Healthcare Disparities in Value Assessments

Health and healthcare disparities continue to impact care and outcomes in diverse patient populations. Health technology assessments (HTAs) fail to incorporate these health disparities into value assessments, often citing insufficient diversity in clinical trials. A recent article, published in HTA Quarterly, compares the different value frameworks used by HTAs and proposes several mechanisms that would address these health disparities, such as real world evidence studies.

“Awareness of health disparities is growing in the industry, but principles, mission statements, and guidances must be followed by action to be truly impactful. It is easy to recognize that health disparities exist in the US, but it is much more difficult to do something about it. There’s hope that awareness is slowly translating into actions that will provide the necessary evidence to address health disparities, but we’re not there quite yet.” Read more here.

(Source: Seth Cook & Robin Tan, Xcenda – Amerisource Bergen, 8/27/21)