Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T01:50:48.738Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

ETHICS EXPERTISE FOR HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: A CANADIAN NATIONAL SURVEY

Part of: Special Collection - Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2014

Kenneth Bond ,
Mark Oremus ,
Katherine M. Duthie  and
Glenn G. Griener
Kenneth Bond
Affiliation:
Institute of Health Economics
Mark Oremus
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University
Katherine M. Duthie
Affiliation:
Fraser Health Ethics Services
Glenn G. Griener
Affiliation:
School of Public Health and Department of Philosophy, University of Alberta
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify individuals with expertise in ethics analysis in Canada, who might contribute to health technology assessment (HTA); to gauge these individuals’ familiarity with, and experience participating in, the production of HTA.

Methods: A contact list was developed using the Canadian Bioethics Society membership list and faculty listings of Canadian universities, bioethics centers, and health agencies. An eighteen-question email survey was distributed to potential respondents to collect data on demographic information, education and work experience in applied ethics, and involvement in HTA.

Results: The survey response rate was 52.8 percent (350/663). Respondents worked primarily in academic institutions (50.4 percent) or hospitals (15.4 percent). Many respondents (83.1 percent) had education, formal training, or work-related experience in practical ethics related to health care, with many having a doctorate (34.5 percent) or master's degree (19.0 percent). One quarter (24.5 percent; n = 87) of respondents indicated they had been involved in an analysis of ethical issues for HTA. Almost two-thirds (65.4 percent; n = 165) of those who had not previously participated in ethics analysis believed they might usefully contribute to an analysis of ethical issues in HTA. Experts who have conducted ethics analysis in HTA had more than twice the odds of having education and training in ethics and a PhD than those who might contribute to ethics analysis.

Conclusion: Many people have contributed to ethics analysis in HTA in Canada, and more are willing to do so. Given the absence of a reliable credential for ethics expertise, HTA producers should exercise caution when enlisting ethics experts.

Keywords

EthicsHealth technology assessmentHealth policy
Type
Methods
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , April 2014 , pp. 131 - 136
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Banta, D. What is technology assessment? Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2009;25(Supp 1):7–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Busse, R, Orvain, J, Velasco, M, et al. Best practice in undertaking and reporting health technology assessments. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2002;18:361–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Arellano, LE, Willett, JM, Borry, P. International survey on attitudes towards ethics in health technology assessment: an exploratory study. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2011;27:50–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Lehoux, P, Williams-Jones, B. Mapping the integration of social and ethical issues in health technology assessment. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2007;23:9–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. DeJean, D, Giacomini, M, Schwartz, L, Miller, FA. Ethics in Canadian health technology assessment: A descriptive review. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2009;25:463–469.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Duthie, K, Bond, K. Improving ethics analysis in health technology assessment. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2011;27:64–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7. Ashcroft, R. Health technology assessment. In: The concise encyclopedia of the ethics of new technologies. San Diego: Academic Press; 2001:235–244.Google Scholar
8. Hofmann, B. Toward a procedure for integrating moral issues in health technology assessment. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2005;21:312–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Lehoux, P, Tailliez, S, Denis, J-L, Hivon, M. Redefining HTA in Canada: Diversification of products and contextualization of findings. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2004;20:325–336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. INAHTA survey on handling ethical issues. http://www.inahta.org/INAHTA/Surveys/2003. http://www.inahta.org/upload/About%20INAHTA/Survey_ethical_issues_results_web.pdf (accessed April 14, 2014).Google Scholar
11. Dillman, DA. Mail and Internet surveys: The tailored design method. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons; 2011.Google Scholar
12. Coughlin, MD, Watts, J. A descriptive study of healthcare ethics consultants in Canada: Results of a national survey. HEC Forum. 1993;5:144–164.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13. DeGracia, D, Beauchamp, TJ. Philosophy: Ethical principles and common morality. In: Sugarman, J, Sulmasy, DP, eds. Methods in medical ethics, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press; 2010:37–53.Google Scholar
14. Rasmussen, LM. An ethics expertise for clinical ethics consultation. J Law Med Ethics. 2011;39:649–661.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Kovács, J. The transformation of (bio)ethics expertise in a world of ethical pluralism. J Med Ethics. 2010;36:767–770.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16. Canadian Bioethics Society webpage. Professionalization. http://www.bioethics.ca/professionalization.html (accessed August 22, 2012).Google Scholar
17. American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. Core competencies for health care ethics consultation, 2nd ed. Oakbrook, IL: American Society for Bioethics and Humanities; 2010.Google Scholar
18. Sacchini, D. Guidance on reporting methods, results, and interpretation of ethical inquiry [oral presentation]. 10th HTAi Annual Meeting, Seoul, South Korea. June 17–19, 2013.Google Scholar
19. Shih, TH, Fan, XT. Comparing response rates from web and mail surveys: A meta-analysis. Field Methods. 2008;20:249. doi: 10.1177/1525822X08317085 CrossRefGoogle Scholar