The Challenges in Conducting Economic Evaluations for Rehabilitation Technologies

Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2023 · DOI: 10.46292/sci23-00035S · Published: January 1, 2023

Simple Explanation

Health technology assessment (HTA) is crucial for deciding whether to adopt new healthcare technologies. Economic evidence plays a significant role in these assessments. It is important to identify and address barriers in evaluating rehabilitation technologies to facilitate their integration into healthcare systems. This article explores the challenges in conducting economic evaluations for rehabilitation technologies, reviews barriers to HTA for medical devices, and suggests considerations for improvement.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Not specified

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Identified challenges include the lack of high-quality studies, the interaction between technology and user, short product life cycles, and efficacy estimation difficulties in technologies targeting multiple populations.
2
Blinding in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for medical devices is difficult, affecting the quality of clinical evidence.
3
Small eligible populations for study recruitment and the lack of consensus on treatment parameters pose challenges in developing high-quality evidence for HTA of rehabilitation technologies.

Research Summary

Health technology assessments (HTAs) are important for deciding whether to fund and integrate new healthcare technologies for rehabilitation. Barriers to developing HTAs in rehabilitation may delay or prevent the introduction of technologies into the healthcare system. Key recommendations include developing rehabilitation-specific HTA questions, improving clinical trial methodology, dedicating resources, and involving stakeholders in healthcare decision-making.

Practical Implications

Improved HTA Processes

Developing rehabilitation-specific HTA questions can refine the evaluation process for rehabilitation technologies.

Enhanced Clinical Trials

Improvements in clinical trial methodology and dedicated resources can lead to more robust evidence.

Stakeholder Involvement

Engaging clinicians, researchers, and individuals with lived experience in healthcare decision-making can improve the relevance and applicability of HTAs.

Study Limitations

1
Lack of clinical evidence due to issues with blinding, recruitment, and treatment parameters.
2
Challenges arising from device and user interaction, such as the learning curve.
3
Short product life cycles, which limit the availability of long-term data and comprehensive evaluations.

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