Jansen K, van Kammen J, Maas I, Hoeksema J; Health Technology Assessment International. Meeting (2nd : 2005 : Rome, Italy).
Ital J Public Health. 2005; 2: 121.
Netherlands Organization for Research and Development ZonMw, kammen@zonmw.nl, The Hague, 2509 AE The Netherlands E-mail: jansen@zonmw.nl
Expanding and expensive new technologies, major long-term implications, many different stakeholders involved are the context that reimbursement decisions on fertility decisions have to take into account. In 1999 the Ministry of Health asked the Netherlands Organization for Research and Development ZonMw to develop a research programme on the cost-effectiveness of infertility problems. This was carried out with the Health Insurance Board. Six HTA-studies provided insight in the cost-effectiveness of different medication regimes and treatment strategies (IUI/IVF; embryotransfer). Now these studies will come to a conclusion in 2005, the policy context already has changed. In the meantime, the reimbursement of IVF and medication was changed. This illustrates that policy and clinical research are two different social worlds with different dynamics. For policymakers results of scientific studies are too detailed or they come too late for decision making. Researchers feel uncomfortable with the way in which policymakers frame their questions and take their decisions. Therefore, ZonMw organized a follow-up trajectory spring 2005 with two steps. In step 1, the researchers of the six studies synthesized their central findings and messages. In step 2, in an interactive process ZonMw translate these into a document with potential policy implications for the stakeholders involved. Next, agreements are convened at a working conference for the Ministry of Health, the professional body, researchers, patient organizations, the Health Insurance Board and insurance companies. This example illustrates that as an intermediary organisation ZonMw is in an excellent position to take up the work of bridging the gap between research, clinical practice and policy. Our policy framework on knowledge brokering will also be presented, see "Knowledge brokering; a business model".
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Biomedical Research
- Clinical Trials as Topic
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Decision Making
- Decision Making, Organizational
- Health Services Research
- Humans
- Knowledge
- Netherlands
- Public Health Administration
- Research
- Research Support as Topic
- Technology Assessment, Biomedical
- economics
- hsrmtgs
UI: 103141058
From Meeting Abstracts