HTW and NIHR form national partnership to drive evidence generation for non-medicine health and care technologies

HTW is to work in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to help ensure evidence gaps identified during health technology assessments are addressed. This national partnership is an important step in informing evidence generation for non-medicine health and care technologies.

HTW carries out health technology assessments of non-medicine health and care technologies and produces national guidance on the clinical and cost effectiveness of the technology, including recommendations for adoption in Wales.

Its team evaluates the evidence that already exists on the technology and produces an Evidence Appraisal Report (EAR) which is used to formulate the HTW guidance recommendations.

The EARs and guidance documents highlight any evidence gaps that exist. Research recommendations may outline the need for studies comparing the technology to standard care, or those assessing long term outcomes, and these will now be shared with NIHR to inform future research commissioning. Evidence generated from high quality studies is necessary to ensure technologies delivered to patients are safe and effective.

The NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care with investments from each of the Devolved Administrations including Health and Care Research Wales to improve health through research. It works in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients and the public to fund and deliver health and care research.

Professor Peter Groves, Chair of Health Technology Wales, said:

“This partnership provides an important opportunity to better highlights gaps in the evidence that exists for the adoption and use of non-medicine health and care technologies.

“Identifying and addressing evidence gaps will mean that more potentially life-changing technologies can be adopted by health and care providers.

“We look forward to further developing our partnership with the NIHR and finding new ways to share knowledge and information together.”