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Because your voice matters.

Member, Health Technology Assessment Committee

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Closed

Commitment: Long-term

Connection method: Virtual

Open to Provincial Region

Posted

Volunteer Opportunity
Would you like to join the Health Technology Assessment Committee and work alongside people from the Ministry of Health, health authorities, and academia in making informed decisions about which technologies should be publicly funded in the province? If you have a passion for health technologies (devices, diagnostics, clinical procedures etc.) this could be the opportunity for you!

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Lead Organization/Department
Partnerships and Innovation Division, Ministry of Health

Aim
The Ministry of Health values patient input and seeks to include patient perspectives wherever possible. The patient partner along with other members of the committee will review analyses of health technologies (devices, diagnostics, clinical procedures, etc.) and contribute their opinions on how they should be used in BC’s publicly-funded health care system.

Level of Engagement
This opportunity is at the level of collaborate on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will work together with you to formulate solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.

Eligibility
• Committee or working group experience is an asset
• Understanding of the importance of contribution to general dialogue from the patients’ perspective, rather than advocacy to a special cause or condition
• Comfortable attending meetings via video conference (or by teleconference if you do not have access to a camera-enabled device)
• Comfortable reading and understanding academic literature
• Not required, but financial/economic literacy would be an advantage to the patient partner
• A current Patient Voices Network member (already completed an orientation)

Please note an informal interview will be part of this selection process.

Logistics
• Number of vacancies: 1 (already 1 current patient on the committee)
• Meetings:
– Monthly 2 hour virtual/teleconference meetings, taking place on the second Thursday of every month from 1-3pm, plus additional 2-5 hours or prep time. Total: approx. 7 hours/month
– First meeting date January 13, 2022 (1-3pm)
– One full day in-person meeting in Vancouver on March 10, 2022 (feasibility of an in-person meeting in light of the COVID-19 pandemic will be evaluated closer to the date)
• Committee members are expected to pre-read meeting materials distributed prior to each meeting. Past members have stated that this can take an additional 2-5 hours per month. Materials are provided two weeks in advance.
• Commitment: One year with an option to renew for an additional year

Reimbursement
Pre-approved expenses for Patient Partners attending the in-person meeting on March 10, 2022, in Vancouver will be covered including travel, accommodation, & meals based on the Ministry of Health policy and BCCDC Covid 19 guidelines.

Background
The BC Health Technology Assessment is a joint Ministry and Health Authority process used to make evidence-informed decisions about which health technologies (devices, diagnostics, clinical procedures etc.) should be publicly provided in the province. Specifically, the Health Technology Assessment Committee (HTAC) provides evidence informed recommendations to a committee of senior Ministry and Health Authority executives.

HTAC is comprised of a mix of Ministry and Health Authority representatives from across the province, along with professional members, (ethicist, economist and HTA specialist).

BC Health Technology Assessment Website

A Health Technology Assessment (HTA) provides evidence-informed advice about which devices, diagnostics, and medical procedures should be publicly provided in the province of BC. The BC HTA process was established in 2011 by Health Authorities’ CEOs in partnership with the Ministry of Health to make decisions about technologies that contribute to improved patient outcomes, provide value for money, and should be publicly provided. Examples of recently reviewed topics include endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke, ceramic hip implants for total primary hip replacement, and the use of computed tomography for diagnosing pulmonary embolism.

In the BC HTA process, a health technology is defined as a device, diagnostic tool, or procedure. Pharmaceuticals and information technology improvements are considered out-of-scope. To be considered, new technologies should be expected to have a significant patient and/or health system impact and existing technologies that are currently being used within the health system should have evidence indicating they would benefit to assessment with respect to optimal use.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Cathy Almost
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Northern Region
250-615-9932
calmost@bcpsqc.ca

From Our Community

Christine Wallsworth

Patient Partner, Vancouver

Christine Wallsworth

Patient and family partners should not be a check box on research proposals! They need to be involved right from the start. I know patient and family partners are doing their part by providing their knowledge to researchers from their lived experience.  It’s a win-win for us to work together through PVN to make sure our input drives improvements.