The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), Kochi organized an International Fellowship Program on Health Technology Assessment during December 9-16, 2012 in association with Joanna Briggs Institute of Evidence Based Medicine, University of Adelaide, Australia.
Faculty members from University of Toronto and University of Liverpool participated as well.
From India, the Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) at IIT Madras and National Accreditation Board of Hospitals and Health Care Providers were technical collaborators.
“We were privileged to receive support from all the partners,” remarked Dr. Sanjeev Singh, Chief Medical Superintendent, AIMS.
The fellowship program attracted participation from over hundred delegates including clinicians, hospital administrators, nurses, biomedical engineers and pharmacists.
A multi-disciplinary approach that systematically examines the safety, clinical efficacy, cost, organizational implications, social consequences, legal and ethical considerations of the application of a clinical or surgical intervention, drug or medical device, Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a new and innovative concept.
“HTA is practiced extensively in the UK and US at the macro-level policy decision-making and at the institution-level for best evidence-based resource utilization. It is heartening to see that even India is ready with implementation of such a useful objective tool in healthcare,” stated Dr. Sanjeev Singh.
Over the eight program days, training was imparted so that delegates understood ethical, social and legal aspects of intervention selection, the need to conduct systematic reviews for new methods and technologies, economic modeling, harm-benefit and impact assessments.
“We envision the participants to be the future torch bearers among health care professionals of HTA in India,” the organizers remarked.
At the program inauguration, Dr. T. Sundaraman, Executive Director of National Health Systems Resource Center, outlined how the Ministry of Health has already recommended to the Planning Commission that HTA be included as a priority item.
Dr. Gayatri, Director of NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers) reiterated the importance of HTA in accreditation, patient safety and improving outcomes.
Dr. Mohanshankar, Director, HTIC, IIT Madras provided an overview of innovative healthcare delivery practices they have initiated while Dr. Prem Nair, Medical Director, AIMS shed light on how the organization is using this tool for early decision making.
Others who shared their insights and learnings with the delegates included Dr. Jitendar Sharma from University of Adelaide; Dr. Rumona Disckson from University of Liverpool; Dr. Arun Patel from National Health Service, UK; Dr. Prakash Shah, from University of Toronto; Dr. Bandekar from Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai and Dr. Niranjan from Sree Chitra Hospital.
From Amrita, Dr. Sanjeev Singh and Dr. R Krishnakumar, HoD, Pediatric Cardiology spoke.
The clinical sessions were supplemented with sessions on statistics, data mining, data warehousing and economic evaluations.
“The feedback from participants was outstanding and various requests were made to have joint groups for taking HTA forward in India,” summed up the organizers.
December 27, 2012
Health Sciences Campus, Kochi
