On 12 October 2024, EFCCA organised a conference during UEG Week in Vienna titled: "How can patients play a crucial role in medicines-related decision-making? An open dialogue with stakeholders and the presentation of the EFCCA HTA Guidebook."
EFCCA presented its latest initiative to empower patients in healthcare decision-making: the Guidebook on Health Technology Assessments (HTA). Presented by Roberto Saldaña, EFCCA’s Coordinator of Innovation and Patient Engagement, this comprehensive guide is designed to support patients in understanding HTA processes and provide them with tools to actively participate in healthcare decisions, particularly concerning drug approvals. Part of EFCCA's DIVA strategy, the Guidebook explains HTA processes, terminology and evidence requirements, enabling patients to contribute their unique perspectives and experiences to assessments that directly affect them.
The conference also featured key insights from two expert committees on the subject, presented by Néboa Zozaya of the WEBER Foundation. Other key speakers included EFCCA Chairperson Salvatore Leone, Prof. Alessandro Armuzzi from Humanitas Research Hospital and EFCCA CEO Luisa Avedano. During the panel discussions, we also heard valuable insights from leading clinicians, including Prof. Fernando Magro, President-Elect of ECCO and Head of the Clinical Pharmacology Department at University Hospital São João in Porto, and Dr. Yago González Lama, Head of the Gastroenterology Section and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre in Madrid.
The discussions underscored the importance of placing patients at the center of HTA regulations, emphasising that their voices should guide the future of healthcare technology.
The conference presentations are available for viewing online and can be downloaded here:
Salvo Leone (EFCCA Chairperson)
Luisa Avedano (EFCCA CEO)
Roberto Saldaña (EFCCA Innovation and Patient Engagement Coordinator)
Néboa Zozaya (Manager of Health Affairs & Policy Research - WEBER)