Federal Government Invests $45 million in Health Technology Assessment

February 19, 2003

OTTAWA - The Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment enthusiastically welcomes new federal funding of $45 million over 5 years for health technology assessment (HTA) research in Canada, CCOHTA President Jill Sanders said today.

"This new funding will strengthen Canada's health care system by enabling us to increase the number and scope of HTA projects and ensure that HTA information is readily available and widely used in Canada," said Sanders.

Sanders also applauded the commitment of Canada's First Ministers to develop a comprehensive Canadian strategy for health technology assessment. The commitment is a key element of the 2003 First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal that was signed two weeks ago.

"I look forward to using CCOHTA's considerable expertise and existing network of partners to support the development of this important strategy," said Sanders. "We anticipate working collaboratively with all jurisdictions, other Canadian experts and the full range of HTA stakeholders to ensure the strategy builds on and enhances existing programs and meets the needs of health care decision-makers."

Health technology assessment is a type of systematic research that identifies, synthesizes and analyzes all available evidence on the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health care technologies, including drugs, equipment and systems.

"Health care decision-makers would need to read an estimated 2 million articles a year to keep up with technological developments in health care," said Sanders. "By cutting through the information overload and clearly presenting reliable, impartial evidence of clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, HTA adds value to the system and ensures that decision-makers are able to make informed choices."

CCOHTA is a private not-for-profit health research organization based in Ottawa. CCOHTA was founded in 1989 to provide unbiased, reliable information about health technology to the federal, provincial and territorial governments. CCOHTA also manages a common review process for new drugs submitted for funding through participating federal, provincial and territorial drug benefit programs.

For further information contact Kirk Fergusson: 613 226-2553 ext. 276