The Ministry of Health, as part of the SAVING Consortium has organised a stakeholder workshop to present and discuss findings from a study identifying factors that affect the uptake of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) recommendations. The workshop also sought to garner stakeholder perspectives on the findings.
The findings also shed light on some key barriers that inhibit the application of HTA results in decision-making in the health sector. Explanation of the findings to participants revealed that timing and release of reports and its accessibility to decision-makers significantly impact implementation of recommendations. Also, the complexity of the report and relevance of the content was identified as important factors for implementation. The report added that evidence should be presented in a manner that is easily understandable to a wide range of stakeholders.
It was further mentioned that there is the need for an organisational framework that will support the implementation of evidence-based recommendations. There was also a call for much efforts by decision-makers to improve coordination, communication and responsiveness within the health sector.