HGPI convened the Global Expert Meeting “The Future of Health Technology Assessment”.

The creation of efficient and effective healthcare systems to ensure innovation and sustainability is a common issue for every country across the world, including Japan. Efforts are being made country by country to appropriately assess medical treatments. Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is one way to gauge the cost-effectiveness of healthcare systems and ensure the optimal allocation of resources. In Japan, since 2012 there have been many discussions held on the introduction of HTA, particularly at the Committee for Cost-Effectiveness Assessment within the Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo). A trial introduction of Cost-Effectiveness Assessment started in FY2016. Dialogue on these assessments continues in FY2018 towards their full-scale introduction.

Since 2016, HGPI has conducted a series of expert meetings entitled “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” to facilitate open discussions on HTA. Throughout these meetings, we have worked to identify the issues and to provide policy recommendations.

Amidst ongoing considerations regarding the full-scale implementation of HTA and with discussions reaching a peak, HGPI organized this Global Expert Meeting to coincide with the ISPOR Asia Pacific Conference 2018 which was held in Tokyo. At this meeting, domestic and overseas experts joined in discussions not only on HTA as applied to pharmaceuticals, but also HTA within the field of medical devices, for which various approaches are being explored worldwide.

*For past activities, please refer to the “Activity Report – Special Edition on Innovation and Sustainability” (attached below).

■Overview

Explanatory Introduction 

• Yuiko Kondo (Senior Associate, Health and Global Policy Institute)

Keynote Address 1 “HTA Experiences Overseas—Key Lessons Learned”

• Michael Drummond (Professor, Centre for Health Economics, University of York)

Keynote Address 2 “Introduction of HTA into the Medical Device Field in Europe—Status, Challenges, and Prospects”

• Rosanna Tarricone (Associate Dean, Government Health and Non Profit Division, SDA Bocconi School of Management / Associate Professor, Department of Social and Political Science, Bocconi University)

Keynote Address 3 “Efforts Aimed at Introducing HTA in Japan” 

• Ataru Igarashi (Associate Professor, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo)

Panel Discussion “HTA in Japan—The Roles Required of Various Sectors”

Panelists:

• Ataru Igarashi
• Naomi Sakurai (President, Cancer Solutions Co., Ltd.)
• Yasushi Sakuramoto (Assistant Director, Medical Economics Division, Health Insurance Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW))
• Koichi Nakao (President and Chief Executive Officer, Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital) 
• Rosanna Tarricone

Moderator:

• Makoto Tamura (Founder and CEO, Healthcare System Planning Institute / Research Professor, Graduate school of International University of Health and Welfare)

Closing Remarks 

• Hiromi Mitsubayashi (Member of the House of Representatives)

(No particular order, titles omitted)
(Photographed by: Kazunori Izawa)