HTAi Review | January 26, 2026

◤ Breaking News

◤ HTAi Global Policy Forum heads to Montreal, Canada

The HTAi 2026 Global Policy Forum brings together HTA leaders and experts from around the world for three days of rich discussion and collaboration. From January 25–27, participants will explore how HTA can evolve to strengthen evidence-based healthcare decision-making amid the health technology trilemma. These discussions build on the Forum’s background paper, available to view on our website.

The HTAi Global Policy Forum creates a unique space free of organizational constraints and fueled by dynamic conversations. Here, members engage openly, challenge assumptions, and exchange insights that help shape the future of HTA on a global scale. Follow the button below to explore the Global Policy Forum, its members, and past publications.

Read the 2026 Background Paper

◤ Updates from the HTAi 2026 Annual Meeting

View the 2026 Schedule-At-Glance, Panel Program, and Workshop Program

Are you getting excited for the HTAi 2026 Annual Meeting? You can now start planning your conference experience with the Schedule-At-A-Glance, Panel program, and Workshop program officially available.

This year’s program brings together global leaders, experts, and practitioners in HTA to explore timely topics shaping evidence-informed decision-making around the world. From high-level plenaries to interactive panels and hands-on workshops, the schedules offer a first look at the depth and diversity of content you can expect throughout the meeting.

We encourage you to take some time to browse the presentations, explore the session themes, and get familiar with the conversations you’ll want to be part of. Whether you’re looking to dive deep into emerging methods, policy-relevant insights, or practical applications of HTA, the program is designed to help you make the most of your Annual Meeting experience.

Follow the button below to explore the abstracts and schedule!

Explore the schedule

◤ Start Preparing Now: Board Nominations Open in February

In February 2026, the HTAi Board of Directors and its Nominating Committee will begin recruitment of members in good standing to join the Board. To ensure all interested members have adequate time to prepare nomination submissions, we have prepared the following information.

The HTAi Board and its Nominating & Election Committee are looking to recruit members in good standing to join the Board for the following positions and terms:

Three positions of Directors, for a three-year term (2026-2029)

As a Board member, you will be expected to play a central role in guiding the strategies to meet the overall mission of HTAi, to support and promote the production, understanding, and use of health technology assessment that strengthens decision-making and improves health systems worldwide. HTAi actively maintains a Board that reflects the breadth of our global community, and we always strive to strengthen the range of voices and experiences represented. HTAi’s work is shaped by contributions from every region and from people involved in HTA, policy, research, patient and public involvement, and related fields. We welcome applications from across this wide community so that our governance continues to mirror the diversity and richness of the international HTA

Previous Essential and Desirable attributes are as follows:

Essential

An understanding of HTA and commitment to the HTAi Mission and Vision
Experience in leadership and governance of for-profit or not-for-profit organizations and experience with strategic planning and its execution
A collaborative team player who interacts effectively with other Board members in a constructive manner
Credibility, integrity, and high ethical standards
Time and ability to serve on the Board with a minimum of four meetings per year, one strategic planning session, one orientation session, one AGM, and serving on two Board Committees that meet at least four times a year, plus time and ability to chair one of the Committees

Desirable

Experience in membership & sponsorship engagement, recruitment, and retention
Experience in business model innovation, fundraising, and strategic development
Marketing and communications expertise
Legal expertise (LL.B. or equivalent)
Considering ethnic and gender diversity
Resides in a region that is or will be underrepresented: Central & South America Region

Submitting your Nomination

To submit your nomination, complete the submission package online using the button below. The package will require the following documents:

One-page bio
Professional headshot
Letter providing an overview of your experience and qualifications relating to the Board of Directors Criteria and Core Competencies (maximum of two pages).
Two (2) emails in pdf format from two (2) Society Members in good standing in support of your application.
Compete the application (online form)

Members interested in submitting a nomination package must also review, and be prepared to sign, the Consent to Serve as Director form should they be elected. Nominations will open February 2026.

All questions related to Board nominations and elections can be directed via email to boardelections@htai.org.

◤ A Look Back

◤ Now Available! IJTAHC Supplementary Issue: Abstracts from the HTAi 2025 Annual Meeting

The International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care has published its 2025 supplementary issue: Abstracts from the HTAi 2025 Annual Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow the link below to explore the issue.

View the HTAi 2025 Annual Meeting Abstracts

◤ Network News

◤ Upcoming HTAi Webinar: How to Cover Environmental Aspects for HTA at Hospital Level

How to Cover Environmental Aspects for HTA at Hospital Level (1)

Date: February 4 | Time: 7:00 – 8:00 am MST (15.00-16.00 GMT+1)

Healthcare systems worldwide are increasingly recognizing the importance of reducing their environmental footprint—and hospitals are no exception. Integrating environmental sustainability into HTA is becoming a key priority for informed, responsible decision-making.

Join this webinar to learn how hospitals can include environmental criteria when assessing, purchasing, and implementing health technologies.

What you’ll learn:

Why environmental sustainability is emerging as a critical component of HTA
Key environmental data and indicators relevant to hospitals
Practical case studies and international examples
Barriers and pathways for integrating sustainability into hospital decision-making

Speakers:

Melissa Pegg (UK) – Senior Research Consultant, York Health Economics Consortium
Abhirup Dutta Majumdar (India) – Statistician, University of Kalyani
Arkadiusz Grądkowski (Poland) – President, Polish Chamber of Commerce of Medical Devices

Session Chairs:

Iga Lipska (Poland) – Health Policy Institute
Rossella Di Bidino (Italy) – Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS

This session, hosted by the HTAi Hospital-Based HTA Interest Group, is essential for hospital representatives, healthcare decision-makers, HTA professionals, industry experts, and anyone committed to advancing sustainability in healthcare.

◤ Upcoming HTAi Webinar: INESSS Strategy for the Integration of Environmental Considerations

Date: February 12 | Time: 7:00 – 8:00 am MST (14.00-15.00 GMT)

Hosted by the HTAi Environmental Sustainability in HTA (ESHTA) Working Group, this webinar will explore how INESSS (Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux) is integrating environmental considerations into health and social care decision-making. Learn about their evolving strategy and what it means for HTA practice globally.

What you’ll learn:

Emerging international practices for integrating environmental impacts into HTA
Recent evidence on environmental considerations in health and social care systems
The evolving role of HTA agencies in supporting sustainable decision-making

Speaker:

Pascale Lehoux – Scientific Vice-President, INESSS & Full Professor, Université de Montréal (Canada)

Pascale will share how environmental sustainability is being incorporated into HTA, evaluation processes, and policy guidance in Québec, drawing on INESSS horizon scanning and scientific monitoring activities.

Chair:

Melissa Pegg – Senior Research Consultant, York Health Economics Consortium & Chair, HTAi ESHTA Working Group

This session is particularly relevant for HTA professionals, policymakers, hospital and health system representatives, industry partners, and anyone committed to advancing environmentally sustainable healthcare.

◤ HTAi Spotlight: Ethics in HTA Interest Group

As part of our HTAi IGnITE series, recorded in Buenos Aires during the HTAi 2025 Annual Meeting, we sat down with the HTAi Ethics in HTA Interest Group (IG) to learn more about their work, achievements, and plans for the year ahead.

In this interview, the group discusses:

Significant accomplishments over the past year
How they engage and connect with members globally
Emerging trends in HTA ethics and how the IG is navigating them
Focus areas for 2026 and beyond

Discover how the Ethics in HTA Interest Group is contributing to more thoughtful, evidence-informed, and ethically grounded health technology assessment.

◤ HTR in Practice: Interview with Prof. Jung Yul Park

Dive into the world of health technology reassessment (HTR) with Prof. Jung Yul Park, Chair of the Health Technology Reassessment Committee at NECA, South Korea, and representative of the team awarded the 2025 Egon Jonsson Award.

In this insightful interview, Prof. Park discusses:

NECA’s approach to deliberative health technology reassessment
Key features that make their process distinctive
Challenges and lessons in stakeholder engagement and transparency
Practical insights for developing HTR in other health systems

Explore how NECA is shaping evidence-informed healthcare decisions and learn from an award-winning HTR framework.

◤ HTAi Patient & Citizen Involvement in HTA Interest Group Shares New eBook

The HTAi Patient and Citizen Involvement in HTA Interest Group (PCIG) is excited to announce the release of the second edition of Patient Involvement in HTA, edited by PCIG members Karen Facey, Ann Single, and Anke-Peggy Holtorf. This open-access eBook is now available for readers worldwide.

Building on the 2017 edition, the new version:

Revisits key concepts in patient and citizen involvement
Introduces new methods for engagement
Provides an updated overview of approaches across jurisdictions — including many new countries not covered previously

A heartfelt thanks to the 120 experts, including many PCIG members, who contributed chapters and shared their expertise. This book is a significant resource for advancing meaningful patient and citizen involvement in HTA globally.

Access the eBook

◤ HTA News from Around the World

EDiHTA examines scientific and professional highlights from 2025 and looking ahead to 2026

Ireland aims for faster medicine access with new framework agreements.

European Commission publishes report on emerging health technologies

◤ IJTAHC Featured Publications

Navigating market access after conditional reimbursement: A communication roadmap for disinvesting orphan drugs.

Advancing Hospital-Based Health Technology and Impact Assessments: Institutionalising Strategic Decision-Making in Innovation Adoption

Evaluating international collaboration on horizon scanning for pharmaceuticals: Developing Key Performance Indicators for the International Horizon Scanning Initiative