The specificities of non-pharmaceuticals can require adapting classical health technology assessment (HTA) methodologies and developing additional regional approaches to support decision-making processes. However, little information exists regarding the explicit approaches used in different countries. The aim of this work is to provide an overview of the role and activities of the Galician HTA agency (avalia-t, Spain) regarding assessment, appraisal and continued evaluation across the whole life cycle of non-pharmaceutical technologies.

In depth review and analysis of the activities undertaken by avalia-t during the past five years to support the introduction and appropriate use of non-pharmaceutical health care technologies at the regional level.

A multidisciplinary Commission judges the added value of new non-pharmaceuticals and establishes the indications and conditions for use. HTAs, which are mandatory for all relevant technologies, rely on the best available evidence on safety and effectiveness but also provide fit for purpose contextualized information based on organizational data and administrative registers. Interaction with multidisciplinary stakeholders is commonly needed to complement the evidence base (ad hoc working groups, face to face discussions), and post-launch studies can be implemented to analyze the utilization and results in real world practice. Performance indicators and other HTA based products can also be required to ensure the quality of health care (e.g., appropriate use indications, quality indicators, evidence based patient information). In addition, technical and scientific advice/support can be provided at different decision levels of the health organization to promote the quality of care and appropriate use of technologies (e.g., regional mental health program, suicide management strategy, bariatric surgery surveillance registry).

Rigorous, comprehensive and systematic processes for supporting non-pharmaceutical technology adoption and implementation are required. Although it is acknowledged that core information does not differ substantially within countries, contextualized information is recognized as essential for establishing the conditions for use at the regional level.