The following resources and information are used to make decisions about the adoption of health technologies in the local settings.
Each of these resources has its own advantages and limitations, which are often not well understood.
In collaboration with the Medical Education and Research Unit of the University of Calgary and with the support of a CADTH (formerly known as CCOHTA) Capacity Building grants, the Department of Surgery developed an education program to better inform local clinicians, decision- and policy-makers about ways to improve the integration of research evidence into health care decision making.
The Education Program includes six independent modules:
Module 1: Putting HTA Into Practice. Provides an overview of HTA, describes the HTA process, and provides participants with an opportunity to consider developing and/or refining the procedures and protocols of HTA that may assist in the introduction of new technology within their own local environment.
Module 2: Where Do You Find Information for HTA? Provides an overview of where you can find HTA information and discusses how to assess the quality of research evidence.
Module 3: Overview of Common Issues and Research Methods Used in HTA. Provides an overview of the main steps involved in conducting Health Technology Assessment, as well as the various research methods employed by studies involved in the collection of primary data.
Module 4: How Do You Assess Clinical Trials (in Surgery)? Discusses types of clinical trials and their methods.
Module 5: How Do You Assess Observational Research, Outcomes Research, and Clinical Audit? Defines observational research, outcomes research, and clinical audit and the advantages and limitations of each.
Module 6: Influencing Decision and Policy-Making with HTA. Presents a conceptual framework for the decision-making process and discusses ways to improve the integration of HTA into health care decision making.
