Pan-Canadian Collaborative

Background

The pan-Canadian Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Collaborative (the Collaborative) was formed in 2011 to share best practices, minimize duplication of effort through the sharing of information, and identify and contribute to joint initiatives in the assessment of health technologies (medical devices, procedures, and diagnostics). Fostering collaboration among regional HTA producers is promoted as a core value and guiding principle of the Collaborative. The Collaborative engages collectively to enhance the development and use of HTA in Canada to improve patient outcomes and health system sustainability. To accomplish this, the Collaborative brings together representatives from provincial and pan-Canadian HTA producers.

Governance

The direction of the pan-Canadian HTA Collaborative is overseen by a steering committee composed of senior executives from the British Columbia Health Technology Assessment Office (BC-HTAO), Canada's Drug Agency, the Institute of Health Economics (IHE), Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS), and Ontario Health (OH). The steering committee oversees the identification of the strategic priorities of the Collaborative. Engagement with and participating in Collaborative initiatives is not restricted to those subsequently named. Involvement from all regional HTA producers is encouraged and it is expected that participation will depend on the availability of appropriate staff and interest in a given initiative. The formation and functioning of individual working groups are overseen by an operations committee. Secretariat support for the Collaborative is provided by Canada's Drug Agency.

Steering committee:

• BC-HTAO: Victoria Schuckel, Executive Director, Research & Innovation, BC Ministry of Health
• Canada's Drug Agency: Suzanne McGurn, President and CEO
•  IHE: Kate Harback, Interim CEO
• INESSS: Michèle De Guise, CEO; Isabelle Ganache, Director of the Bureau, Méthodologies et éthique
•  OH: Rebecca Truscott, Interim VP, Prevention and Cancer Control, Clinical Institutes and Quality Programs
• Secretariat support: Laura Weeks, Director, HTA; Yan Li, Program Officer

Operations committee:

• BC-HTAO: Julia Prescott, Director, HTA
• Canada's Drug Agency: Laura Weeks, Director, HTA; Kristen Moulton, Manager of Program Development; Yan Li, Program Officer
• IHE: Ken Bond, Director, Evidence Synthesis; Jeff Round, Chief Scientific Officer
• INESSS: Yannick Auclair, Deputy Director, Drugs and HTA; Marie-Hélène Chastenay, Scientific Professional
• OH: Nancy Sikich, Director, HTA; Juliana Yi, Senior Program Advisor, HTA

Priority Topics

Collaborative members identified several potential joint initiatives that represent areas related to the development and use of HTA in Canada within which a collaborative approach may be beneficial. These joint initiatives are operationalized through working groups that report to the operations committee.

Three priority initiatives are currently underway:

1. Sharing of Topics Under Consideration and Projects in Progress
2. Harmonized Principles, Processes, and Collaborative Opportunities in the Conducting of HTA
3. Horizon Scanning