decisions: A cross-country comparison

Sorenson Since the late 1970s, many European coun-tries have established health technology assessment (HTA) systems to inform cov-erage and pricing decisions. These countries use HTA to systematically determine the relative ‘value for money ’ provided by new technologies and to give providers and patients information to make treatment choices. This, in turn, serves to encourage the efficient and effective use of health technolo-gies and to support innovation by identifying and rewarding high-value products. This overview article explores the use of HTA in coverage and pricing decisions, with a focus on pharmaceuticals, in six European countries with established HTA systems