Health Technology Wales (HTW) is a national body working to improve the quality of care in Wales. They collaborate with partners across health, social care and the technology sectors to ensure an all-Wales approach. They are funded by Welsh Government and hosted within NHS Wales, but independent of both. Their remit covers any health technology that isn’t a medicine, such as medical devices, surgical procedures, psychological therapies, tele-monitoring or rehabilitation. HTW is dedicated to ensuring that innovative new technologies are implemented across Wales in a safe, effective and cost-effective way. They aim to foster the creation and uptake of health technologies across Wales that they deem advantageous to patients, medical practitioners, and the healthcare system as a whole. This is primarily achieved through horizon scanning, evidence syntheses and the methodical review and evaluation of health technologies in terms of their safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness, further to the creation of user guidelines and education and training in collaboration with universities and research facilities.
How HTW addresses different areas of the framework:
- Explore & identify solutions
We aim to identify non-medicine technologies and solutions that could improve outcomes for the people of Wales. We actively seek topic suggestions from health and care professionals or providers, but anyone can suggest a topic for us to consider through the form on our website. If a suggested topic is within our remit, we will then explore whether there is enough available evidence to do an appraisal and whether the topic meets our appraisal selection criteria. These considerations are outlined in a Topic Exploration Report (TER), which is published on our website. Our Assessment Group then use the TER alongside other considerations to decide whether to progress the topic to a full appraisal and guidance.
- Creating evidence and proving value
We assess the potential value of a technology by undertaking an evidence appraisal. This involves reviewing, synthesising and critically appraising the evidence on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a health technology compared to standard care. Each assessment is documented in an Evidence Appraisal Report (EAR). The draft EAR is reviewed by topic experts (including technology manufacturers) and the Health Technology Wales Assessment Group and Appraisal Panel before finalising. The EAR is used by our Appraisal Panel to inform evidence-based Guidance on the use of the technology in Wales. For technologies that are not yet ready for appraisal, HTW offers a scientific advice service. This service aims to help companies and technology developers to clearly articulate their technology’s value proposition and build the evidence base required to demonstrate any value claims made.
- Adoption, adaption and deployment readiness
Health Technology Wales aims to increase the adoption of health technologies which have been proven to offer value to the people of Wales. Our Appraisal Panel makes evidence-based Guidance on the use of health technologies in Wales. Our Guidance is not mandatory, but there is an expectation from Welsh Government that it is adopted by relevant health and care organisations in Wales. We regularly monitor the adoption of guidance through our annual adoption audits. Each health board and other relevant bodies are expected to report on how they have considered our appraisal and guidance. Our guidance has ‘adopt or justify’ status and therefore, if an organisation has chosen not to adopt our Guidance, then they are asked to outline their rationale and justify their decision.
