Nguyen Khanh Phuong, Deputy Director of the Health Strategy and Policy Institute under the Ministry of Health, made the statement on October 21 at an international workshop co-held by the Viet Nam Social Security and the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC).

The workshop aims to make health technology assessments in medical equipment and supplies; and orientations for sustainable access to healthcare services, medical supplies and health insurance.

HTA research results are also initially used in formulating and adjusting health-insurance payment policies and negotiating drug prices, she said.

The results already contributed to the success of the drug price negotiation in 2018, saving VND500 billion (US$20.1 million), she said.

Deputy General Director of Viet Nam Social Security Nguyen Duc Hoa delivers his speech at the workshop

In addition, HTA activities have also expanded the participation of the parties, not only with the participation of the health ministry, Viet Nam Social Security, and clinical experts, but also medical facilities, international experts, multinational companies and research institutions, she said.

Viet Nam has also established an HTA network; promoting cooperation, consultation and connection activities; improving the capacity of HTA implementation and initially establishing the infrastructure for HTA, she said.

The application of HTA came after the health ministry issued Decision No 5315/QD-BYT in 2018 on principles and criteria for adding new drugs to the list covered by health insurance, she said.

The decision requires proof of budgetary impact as a general and mandatory criterion for new drugs; and proof of cost-effectiveness, clinical efficacy, and cost of treatment, she said.

Phuong also said there is a practical need for HTA in policy development towards meeting the main objectives such as improving healthcare quality; procurement of drugs and medical equipment; adjusting the scope of the list of drugs and health services; and planning and implementing new services and programmes.

These goals should be achieved through factual information on the appropriate use of drugs and medical interventions; evidence-based coverage adjustment; comparing the effectiveness of intervention options, she said.

According to the World Health Organisation, health technology assessment (HTA) is a systematic and multidisciplinary evaluation of the properties of health technologies and interventions covering both their direct and indirect consequences.

It is a multidisciplinary process that aims to determine the value of a health technology and to inform guidance on how these technologies can be used in health systems around the world.

HTA is a transparent and accountable process that can be used by decision-makers and other stakeholders to support the decision-making process in healthcare at the policy level by providing evidence about given technologies. It has been described as a bridge that connects the world of research to that of policymaking.

US-ASEAN Business Council Deputy Executive Director Vu Tu Thanh at the workshop

At the workshop, international experts also shared their research and experiences on the HTA approach and application in building successful health policies in the world.

Two experts – Joe Caputo, Founder and CEO of Vista Health Pte Ltd; and Nathaniel Henry, Senior Director of Vista Health Pte Ltd introduced HTA in the field of medical services and HTA methods.

Sarah Chan, Senior Manager of Market Access in Southeast Asia and India, and Lee Youn Youn, Senior Manager of Legal Affairs in Southeast Asia of Edwards Lifesciences Company, shared experiences in setting up the HTA process with the participation of stakeholders; as well as HTA application in legal issues.

 A foreign participant at the workshop.

Suggestions on effective medical equipment management models in the ASEAN region and the world are believed to be valuable experiences for Viet Nam Social Security and the health sector to determine the correct approach to medical services and supplies, ensuring sustainable health insurance policies, participants at the conference said.

Speaking at the workshop, Deputy General Director of Viet Nam Social Security Nguyen Duc Hoa said health technology assessment and budget impact assessment in the fields of drugs, medical supplies and medical services play an important role in providing information for the formulation of health insurance policies.

The assessments were initially applied in building a list of drugs covered by health insurance according to Circular No 30/2018/TT-BYT and in drug price negotiation in 2021 and 2022, he said.

Hoa also said to ensure the sustainable development of health insurance policies, it is necessary to determine the list and scope of payment of drugs, medical equipment and technical services that are effective, safe, and ensure quality in treatment, suitable to the affordability of the health insurance fund.

 A foreign participant at the workshop

The effective procurement of drugs and medical supplies and appropriate selection for health insurance participants should be a concern, he said.

US-ASEAN Business Council Deputy Executive Director Vu Tu Thanh said health is currently one of the three policies that USABC prioritises to support the Government of Viet Nam.

It is also an area in which Viet Nam has an urgent need to innovate, he said.

Thanh said the workshop is the first event to mark the implementation of the Action Plan for the 2022-24 period between Viet Nam Social Security and the US-ASEAN Business Council.

There will be more cooperation activities between the two parties related to healthcare system development, health insurance policies, pharmaceutical management policies, IT application and digital transformation, creating a breakthrough in the implementation of health insurance policy in Viet Nam, he said./.