Guiding Principles
The Swiss HTA Consensus Project (hereafter, briefly “Swiss HTA Consensus”) was initiated jointly by santésuisse and Interpharma. Both parties believed, and continue to do so, that Switzerland should more effectively use the potential of Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) as a tool to continuously improve quality and efficiency of health care provision within the system of compulsory health insurance.
Primary objectives of the Swiss HTA Consensus Project were to complement the existing but fragmented Swiss HTA initiatives currently in place, notably by the Federal Office of Public Health (for new technologies in the context of reimbursement and pricing decisions), as well as the more recent initiative of the Zurich Medical Board (primarily assessing established technologies), and to contribute to the development of a refined and integrated approach at the national level.
The project was set up in an inclusive manner, i.e., santésuisse and Interpharma broadly invited participation of further HTA stakeholder groups. The offer was accepted by the Swiss Medical Association (FMH), the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS/SAMW), and by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH/BAG, with observer status). The parties involved collaborated constructively under the Chatham House Rule in an atmosphere of mutual trust. Despite heterogeneous perspectives and differing vested interests of the various stakeholders, it was possible to reach a consensus on the future use of HTA as an integral element of the Swiss Statutory health insurance system. The Swiss consensus covers principles, objectives, evaluation criteria, methods, processes, and implementation.