Effective patient engagement not only involves patient-friendly writing to increase the accessibility and understanding of medical research, but also requires the involvement of patients in designing, developing and evaluating healthcare products and solutions.
At Costello Medical we believe patients should be at the centre of health technology assessment (HTA). We aim to support our clients in involving patients in both the development of HTA submission dossiers and wider activities informing HTA strategy. Examples include leading independent HTA training sessions for patient groups, developing patient advisory boards to inform areas of unmet need and supporting patient groups with data collection activities. We also provide expert guidance to maximise positive, compliant and meaningful patient engagement.
The importance of patient involvement in HTA is becoming widely recognised by a number of HTA bodies.1,2 In particular, NICE has recently looked to increase patient engagement following the 2022 update to its Methods and Processes. In order to maximise the level of patient involvement in manufacturer HTA submissions to NICE, Costello Medical have developed a guide aimed at pharmaceutical companies looking to submit to NICE, which summarises the opportunities for patient involvement throughout the NICE single technology assessment (STA) process. Following the alignment of NICE’s STA and highly specialised technology (HST) programmes, this guide is also relevant to products undergoing HTA by NICE via the HST route. The guide also aims to provide direction around how companies can compliantly support patients and patient organisations involved with the NICE evaluation.
We would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for their kind contributions to this material:
A Microsoft PowerPoint summary of the opportunities for patient involvement throughout the NICE STA process can be accessed below.
If you are interested in finding out more about our patient engagement services, please contact Emma Phillips.
