The National Health Care Institute values cooperation with other agencies and stakeholders to expand our knowledge, share our own expertise, divide workload or to stand stronger together. We collaborate with a wide range of international stakeholders in platforms, projects and initiatives.
EU HTAR
The Regulation (EU) 2021/2282 on health technology assessment (HTAR) brings a significant improvement in ensuring that innovative and effective health technologies are available to patients across the EU. It’s an EU framework for the assessment of health technologies, such as medicines and medical devices, fostering collaboration and coordination between EU Member States. This helps national authorities to make more timely and informed decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of health technologies and streamline the procedure for health technology developers.
The Heads of Agencies Group (HAG)
The Heads of HTA Agencies is an independent group of more than 30 European healthcare agencies working together to advance strategic collaboration on HTA. The HAG works in line with the objectives to prepare for a future EU HTA system, taking the HTA Regulation (HTAR) into account.
Beneluxa
The Beneluxa Initiative is a collaboration between Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria and Ireland to improve patient access to innovative medicines and ensure sustainable healthcare systems. The National Health Care Institute plays a leading role in joint horizon scanning, pricing negotiations, knowledge exchange and joint assessments.
International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI)
The International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI) provides data that empowers political decision-makers, HTA agencies and payer organizations to drive for better pricing in medicinal products. The National Health Care Institute chairs the Executive Committee and integrates data derived from IHSI into its own horizon scan for medicinal products, supporting timely and informed decision-making.
Medicine Evaluation Committee (MEDEV)
MEDEV represents an informal cooperation between national authorities responsible for the assessment, pricing and reimbursement of medicines in Europe. MEDEV members include national HTA agencies and social health insurers (payers). The overarching mission is to further the sustainable provision of medicines to patients who are publicly insured.
Support Utilisation of Sustainable and TAilored INnovative methods for HTA (SUSTAIN-HTA)
SUSTAIN-HTA is a European project (2024–2027) that supports health technology assessment (HTA) organisations in applying innovative and practical methods to evaluate healthcare interventions. The project focuses on identifying the practical needs of HTA bodies and linking these to international research and methodological developments. It will also establish support for HTA organisations to implement new methods. Zorginstituut Nederland (ZIN) leads the work package on implementation and is actively involved in several other parts of the project.
Other international networks, associations and activities
The National Health Care Institute is also actively involved in several other international networks, associations and activities:
- International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR)
A global professional society advancing health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) to improve healthcare decision-making worldwide. This also includes active involvement in the, by ISPOR coordinated, European HTA Roundtable where representatives of all European HTA bodies come together live yearly. Visit the ISPOR website here. - Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi)
A global, non-profit society dedicated to promoting the importance and use of health technology assessment (HTA). Visit the HTAI website here. - International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA)
A global network of public HTA agencies that fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the advancement of HTA to support evidence-based policy decisions. Visit the INAHTA website here. - Guideline International Network (GIN)
A global network supporting evidence-based guideline development, adaptation, and implementation to improve healthcare quality through international collaboration. Visit the GIN website here. - European Health Data space (EHDS)
An EU initiative establishing a common framework for secure access, use, and reuse of electronic health data to empower individuals and support research, innovation, and policy-making. Visit the EHDS website here.