HTAi 2026 Annual Meeting Rapporteur Reflections
The HTAi 2026 Annual Meeting Rapporteur Reflections are now available, capturing key themes, insights, and perspectives that emerged from this year’s scientific program in Istanbul.
Developed by the 2026 Annual Meeting rapporteurs, the reflections look beyond individual sessions to explore broader conversations shaping the HTA community, including horizon scanning and disinvestment across the HTA lifecycle, emerging HTA systems, and the involvement of patients and citizens in HTA.
Together, the reports offer an opportunity to revisit some of the important discussions from Istanbul, consider their implications for the evolving HTA landscape, and continue the exchange of ideas beyond the Annual Meeting.
Read the 2026 Annual Meeting Rapporteur ReflectionsPolicy Forum Spotlight: Eight Challenges Still Shaping the HTA Conversation
Earlier this year, the 2026 HTAi Global Policy Forum brought together leaders from across the HTA community to consider a fundamental question: how must HTA adapt as the health systems it serves continue to change?
The discussions identified eight strategic, policy, and system-level issues requiring collective attention from the HTA community. Several months on, these challenges remain highly relevant — from responding to rapid innovation and evolving evidence to ensuring HTA continues to meet the needs of increasingly complex health systems.
Adapt and Renew HTA: Key Signals for Health System Leaders from the 2026 HTAi Global Policy Forum brings these issues together and provides a useful foundation for continued discussion across the HTA community.
If you missed it earlier this year — or would like to revisit the key messages — explore the eight challenges and consider which are having the greatest impact in your own HTA context.
Explore the Eight Challenges◤ Grow, Connect and Give Back: Join the 2026–2027 HTAi Mentoring Program
Whether you’re looking for guidance as you build your career in HTA or ready to share the experience you’ve gained along the way, the 2026–2027 HTAi Early Career Network Mentoring Program offers an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together.
The program pairs members who are newer to HTA with experienced professionals who can share career insights, perspectives, and practical guidance. Rather than formal training in HTA methods or technical skills, the focus is on career development, networking, navigating opportunities within the HTA community, and identifying resources that can support continued growth.
For mentors, it’s an opportunity to share experience, build meaningful connections, and support the next generation of the HTA community. For mentees, it provides a confidential space to ask questions, explore career goals, and learn from someone with experience navigating the field.
Participants commit approximately one hour each month from September 2026 to May 2027 for virtual one-to-one meetings, with additional opportunities to connect and learn throughout the year.
Ready to share what you know — or take the next step in your HTA career? Applications are now open.
Applications close August 15, 2026 at 23:59 CET.
Returning mentors who would like to participate again do not need to complete the application survey and can contact Chair.ECN.IG@htai.org to express their interest.
New Leadership Across HTAi Interest Groups
New voices, new roles, and continued momentum across the HTAi Interest Group community.
Several HTAi Interest Groups are welcoming new leaders, with members stepping into Chair, Vice-Chair, and Co-Chair positions across the Early Career Network, Patient and Citizen Involvement, Rare Diseases Interest Group, and Hospital-Based HTA Interest Groups.
We are pleased to welcome Veronica Lopez Gusset as Chair and Lamis Diaa as Vice-Chair of the Early Career Network Interest Group; Eva Maria Ruiz de Castilla as Vice-Chair of the Patient and Citizen Involvement Interest Group; Sheela Upadhyaya as Chair and Farzana Malik as Co-Chair of the Rare Diseases Interest Group; and Marina Von Pinoci as Co-Chair of the Hospital-Based HTA Interest Group.
These transitions also provide an opportunity to recognize the contributions of those completing or changing their leadership roles. Our thanks go to Lea Wiedmann, Aline Silva, Ann Single, Zal Press, Karen Facey, and Rossella Di Bidino for the time, expertise, and commitment they have contributed to their Interest Groups and the wider HTAi community.
HTAi’s Interest Groups are powered by members who volunteer their expertise, ideas, and time to advance collaboration and knowledge exchange across the global HTA community. We look forward to seeing how our new and continuing leaders build on that work in the year ahead.
◤ HTA News from Around the World
Europe: New Principles for AI in Joint Clinical Assessment Dossiers
The Member State Coordination Group on Health Technology Assessment has published new general principles on the use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of Joint Clinical Assessment dossiers under the EU HTA Regulation. The development reflects the growing role of AI in evidence generation and synthesis and the need for appropriate principles to guide its use within HTA processes.
Australia: New Framework Strengthens Consumer Engagement in HTA
The Australian Government has finalized a new Framework for Consumer Engagement in Health Technology Assessment, outlining shared principles, focus areas, and actions to support more meaningful and consistent involvement of patients, carers, families, and communities throughout HTA processes. The final framework was published in July following stakeholder consultation.
Asia: Real-World Evidence Takes a Growing Role in HTA
A new policy analysis examines how real-world evidence is being used in HTA across China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The findings point to a shift toward more dynamic approaches to HTA, with RWE increasingly informing areas such as price reassessment, risk-sharing arrangements, and conditional reimbursement.
◤ IJTAHC Featured Publications
What We Choose to Value in the AI Era of Healthcare
As AI becomes increasingly embedded in healthcare, this new IJTAHC article explores an important question for HTA: not simply what these technologies can do, but what we want them to achieve — and which values should guide their assessment and use.
Surrogate Endpoints in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for HTA
This study explores how HTA agencies around the world are handling surrogate endpoints in economic evaluation, highlighting persistent challenges around validation, uncertainty, and guidance for decision-making.
Closing the Gap: Embedding Equity in Health Technology Assessment
This perspective considers how health equity can be more systematically incorporated into HTA, including the need for clearer guidance, stronger data infrastructure, and methods that better capture inequalities in access and outcomes.
What’s Happening in Your HTA Community?
