Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T05:49:27.875Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Implementing health technology assessment in Kuwait: a qualitative study of perceived barriers and facilitators

Part of: Special Collection - Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 November 2019

Basshar Darawsheh Open the ORCID record for Basshar Darawsheh [Opens in a new window]  and
Evi Germeni
Basshar Darawsheh*
Affiliation:
Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment (HEHTA), Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Evi Germeni
Affiliation:
Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment (HEHTA), Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Basshar Darawsheh, E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives

This study sought to explore main barriers and facilitators to implementing health technology assessment (HTA) in Kuwait from the perspective of key stakeholders.

Methods

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with ten key stakeholders: seven healthcare providers working at various departments of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health (MOH), and three academics with substantial experience in teaching HTA or related fields. Interviews were conducted face-to-face, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using an inductive thematic approach.

Results

Participating stakeholders reported several factors that might act as a barrier to building HTA in Kuwait: minimal awareness of HTA, lack of institutional and human capacity, a fragmented healthcare system, poor communication between researchers and policy makers, the country's wealth, politics, as well as data quality, availability, and sharing. Institutionalizing HTA as a politically empowered body, enforcing its recommendation by law, and benefiting from neighboring countries' experiences were suggested as possible ways to move forward.

Conclusion

Studies exploring the unique challenges that high-income developing countries may face in implementing HTA are still scarce. The results of this study are consistent with evidence coming from other developing countries, while also suggesting that the abundance of financial resources in the country is a double-edged sword; it has the potential to facilitate the development of HTA capacity, but also hinders recognizing the need for it.

Keywords

Qualitative researchHealth technology assessmentDeveloping countryKuwait
Type
Method
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 35 , Issue 6 , 2019 , pp. 422 - 426
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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

1.The United Nations (2018) World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018. Available at: https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/publication/WESP2018_Full_Web-1.pdf. Accessed October 1, 2018.Google Scholar
2.The World Bank (2018) Countries and Economies. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/country/kuwait?view=chart. Accessed October 1, 2018.Google Scholar
3.World Health Organization (WHO) (2018) Countries—Kuwait. Available at: https://www.who.int/countries/kwt/en/ Accessed October 1, 2018.Google Scholar
4.World Health Organization (2014) Country Cooperation Strategy for WHO and Kuwait 2012–2016. http://www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/113231. (Accessed October 1, 2018).Google Scholar
5.Kuwait Life Sciences Company (2016). Market Overview 2016. Available at: https://www.tfhc.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/KLSC-IMS-Kuwait-Health-Industry-Report-2016-vF2.pdf. Accessed October 1, 2018.Google Scholar
6.Kuwait Times (2017) Expats to pay increased health insurance of KD 130 annually. Kuwait Times 15-11-2017. Available at: http://news.kuwaittimes.net/website/expats-pay-increased-health-insurance-kd-130-annually/ Accessed October 1, 2018.Google Scholar
7.Kuwait Times (2017) New health fees take effect. Kuwait Times 30-09-2017. Available at: http://news.kuwaittimes.net/website/new-health-fees-take-effect/ Accessed October 1, 2018.Google Scholar
8.Chalkidou, K, Marten, R, Cutler, D, et al. (2013) Health technology assessment in universal health coverage. Lancet 382(9910), e48–e49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.El-Jardali, F, Lavis, J, Ataya, N, Jamal, D (2012) Use of health systems and policy research evidence in the health policymaking in eastern Mediterranean countries: views and practices of researchers. Implement Sci. 7(2), 1–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Glassman, A, Chalkidou, K, Giedion, U, et al. (2012) Priority-setting institutions in health. Global Heart 7(1), 13–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.World Health Organization (2015) 2015 Global Survey on Health Technology Assessment by National Authorities. Main findings. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-technology-assessment/MD_HTA_oct2015_final_web2.pdf. Accessed October 1, 2018.Google Scholar
12.Pawson, R (2006) Evidence-based policy. London: Sage Publications.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Oliver, K, Innvar, S, Lorenc, T, Woodman, J, Thomas, J (2014) A systematic review of barriers to and facilitators of the use of evidence by policymakers. BMC Health Serv Res. 14(2), 1–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Ghassemi, S, Dehnavieh, R (2016) Applying the results of health technology assessment reports in developing countries, the pale face of coin. Technol Health Care 24(5), 781–782.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Bijlmakers, L, Mueller, D, Kahveci, R, Chen, Y, van der Wilt, G (2017) Integrate-HTA: a low- and middle-income country perspective. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 33(05), 599–604.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Doherty, J, Wilkinson, T, Edoka, I, Hofman, K (2017) Strengthening expertise for health technology assessment and priority-setting in Africa. Global Health Action 10(1), 1370194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Luz, A, Santatiwongchai, B, Pattanaphesaj, J, Teerawattananon, Y (2018) Identifying priority technical and context-specific issues in improving the conduct, reporting and use of health economic evaluation in low- and middle-income countries. Health Res Policy Syst. 16(1), 1–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Babigumira, J, Jenny, A, Bartlein, R, Stergachis, A, Garrison, L (2016) Health technology assessment in low- and middle-income countries: a landscape assessment. J Pharm Health Serv Res. 7(1), 37–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Mohtasham, F, Majdzadeh, R, Jamshidi, E (2017) Hospital-based health technology assessment in Iran. Int J Technol Assess Health Care 33(04), 529–533.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Mills, A (2014) Reflections on the development of health economics in low- and middle-income countries. Proc R Soc Lond B: Biol Sci. 281(1789), 20140451–20140451.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Liverani, M, Hawkins, B, Parkhurst, J (2013) Political and institutional influences on the use of evidence in public health policy. A systematic review. PLoS ONE 8(10), 77404.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Pitt, C, Vassall, A, Teerawattananon, Y, et al. (2016) Foreword: health economic evaluations in low- and middle-income countries: methodological issues and challenges for priority setting. Health Econ. 25, 1–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Löblová, O (2017) Who's afraid of institutionalizing health technology assessment (HTA)?: interests and policy positions on HTA in the Czech Republic. Health Econ Policy Law 13(02), 137–161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Braun, V, Clarke, V (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 3(2), 77–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25.Tong, A, Sainsbury, P, Craig, J (2007) Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int J Qual Health Care 19(6), 349–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed