Role of General Practitioners in European Health Technology Assessment, EU-HTA Innovation in Oncology as an Example.

INTRODUCTION

Different from established clinical guideline workstreams, the participation of general practitioners (GPs) in the health technology assessment (HTA) process at the European level is new. There is a research gap in this domain. The European Union of General Practitioners (UEMO) is the political association of GPs in Europe and has been collaborating as a stakeholder in the creation of the European Regulation on HTA since 2017. The aim of our research is to provide a framework for GPs'role in EU HTA.

METHODS

Mixed methods: questionnaire and focus groups.

PARTICIPANTS

Representatives of national medical/GP associations of 17 Member States of the EU and five EU non-member countries.

RESULTS

Most respondents supported GP involvement in the development of clinical recommendations relevant to general practice. Respondents emphasized that UEMO must turn to WONCA-Europe, the academic society of GPs, when scientific input is required. Among the ten priority topics for HTA in oncology, four emerged as most relevant for the GPs: 1. Conscientious prescription of interventions considering over- and under-medicalization, 2. establishing a system for continuity of care integrating palliative care, 3. ensuring evidence-based medicine, and 4. promoting collaborative care and considering workload.

DISCUSSION AND

CONCLUSIONS

The GP can contribute to the debate by defending these four priorities. Presenting the difficulties in this debate can contribute to a better understanding of the implementation of new technology in the real world.