Updating of health technology assessments (HTAs) is generally more efficient than starting again when new evidence emerges, but there is no clear guidance on how to do this. Health Technology Wales (HTW) has developed a re-assessment process to ensure that HTAs remain current and relevant to best serve the population and health and care providers in Wales.

HTW developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) to create a consistent approach to HTA re-assessment. HTW keep a record of stakeholders who contribute to a HTA and then send them a questionnaire to ascertain whether the research question is still relevant and if there have been any developments to the evidence since publication of the HTA. The input from these stakeholders is collated and taken to HTW’s Assessment Group to decide whether or not the HTA needs updating. If the Assessment Group decides that re-assessment of a HTA is warranted, HTW perform an updated literature search to inform the re-assessment.

The HTA re-assessment SOP developed by HTW was approved by the organization’s Assessment Group. At the time of writing this abstract, HTW sent questionnaires to stakeholders of three HTAs which had HTW guidance published three years ago, and were therefore due routine consideration for re-assessment as detailed in our SOP. HTW also received a request from a clinician for a more recent HTA to be considered for re-assessment as they believed the evidence-base had changed since original publication. These questionnaires have been collated and will be taken to an upcoming Assessment Group to decide whether HTW should proceed with the re-assessments.

HTW has developed a consistent process for HTA re-assessment, which ensures that HTAs done by HTW remain current and relevant to best serve the population and health and care providers in Wales. By utilizing expertise from HTA stakeholders and HTW Assessment Group members, an informed decision can be made as to whether a HTA warrants re-assessment after three years following publication or sooner if requested.