Equity-Focused Health Technology Assessment at CADTH

Key Messages

• The introduction of equity-focused methodologies into health technology assessment (HTA) can facilitate a systemic and comprehensive focus on health equity and enable the delivery of more equitable health outcomes.
• CADTH has introduced several approaches and methodologies to centre equity considerations in its assessments of health technologies, including in topic identification and scoping, literature searches and information retrieval, health technology reviews, and the Early Scientific Advice program, supported by attention to equity in patient engagement, accessible publishing practices, and tracking outcomes.
• CADTH’s initiatives to incorporate health equity considerations continue to evolve, and CADTH is involved in the ongoing trialling and adaptation of tools, methodologies, processes, and sources to address health inequities through the processes of HTA.