Doctors were told last month that we should stop doing so many screenings for prostate cancer with the prostate-specific antigen test. We learned that sigmoidoscopy is a cheaper, easier and effective alternative to colonoscopy for colon cancer screening. And a study I led turned up strong evidence t

An aim of this study is to describe quantitatively and qualitatively progression and findings from the HTA topic selection process recently developed by HITAP. The process involves potential users of HTA information; namely (1) third party payers (public health insurers), (2) national health care program managers (Ministry of Public Health’s Depa

This study aims to assess both the cost and the appropriate medical indications of using Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) under the Thai setting. It also estimates the potential need and supply to meet the need of PET-CT within the next five years. A systematic review and meta-analysis of literature published in the PubMed

US President Barack Obama on Thursday added $50 million to fight AIDS in the United States and launched efforts to treat two million more people abroad.“We can beat this disease,” Obama said at an event to mark World AIDS Day which included speeches by satellite from former presidents Bill Clinton a

t is an uncomfortable question that, in today’s world, is often asked by expectant mothers who had more than one male partner at the time they became pregnant. Who is the father?With more than half of births to women under 30 now out of wedlock, it is a question that may arise more often.Now blood t

More than 200 researchers investigating colon cancer tumors have found genetic vulnerabilities that could lead to powerful new treatments. The hope is that drugs designed to strike these weak spots will eventually stop a cancer that is now almost inevitably fatal once it has spread.Scientists increa

With the introduction of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Asian countries, priority-setting and HTA has become increasingly important.  However, only in the past decade has HTA been used to inform countries’ health programs and policies. As such, HTA agencies are relatively new in Asia.  In 20

What definition of HTA do you subscribe to?Mark: HTA is a term that is used quite loosely. It seems that the formal definition is to provide an assessment of medical technologies using different perspectives including clinical, economic, ethical and technical. But I think the meaning that it has dev

(HITAP, Thailand) On 23-25 January 2017, delegates from the Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, visited HITAP to learn about the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) system in Thailand. During the discussion, the application of the Thai expe

The recent Indonesia visit is an illustration of iDSI’s ongoing commitment to building capacity in developing countries. HITAP visits help national bodies learn how to conduct Health Technology Assessments, strengthening decision-making processes and enabling gains in the quantity and quality of hea