New standards to include health equity lens in effectiveness, fair pricing analyses
There is a growing consensus that healthcare systems can, unintentionally, exacerbate health disparities for underserved communities. There is a special concern that, as more payers use health technology assessments (HTAs) to promote value in the healthcare system, that health equity be incorporated into the methods. HTAs are evidence-based evaluations of healthcare treatments for clinical effectiveness and fair pricing. HTAs ensure the system rewards innovations that significantly improve health with fair prices.
Consulting with experts and patient advocates, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has developed standards for entities assessing clinical effectiveness and fair pricing, in the US and beyond, to promote health equity for disadvantaged groups. The standards were developed in consultation with providers, patient advocates for underserved communities, bioscience, insurer, and academic sources. ICER is the US leader in assessing treatments for value. ICER’s reports are used by most government and private payers in developing coverage policies and fair prices.
The standards include:
- selecting treatments for study
- engaging patients in the process
- evaluating the diversity of clinical trial participants
- analyzing the data by subpopulations
- measuring opportunities to reduce disparities
- promoting equity through quantitative comparative effectiveness analysis, and
- promoting equity through deliberative methods.
On March 21st at 1pm, ICER will hold a seminar with staff and members of the advisory group to discuss the findings and answer questions to help ensure HTAs include an equity lens. Register here for the webinar.