Improving Access to Care:

CADTH’s Perspective

Dr. Brian O’Rourke

CADTH President and CEO

April 18, 2013

Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)

Founded in 1989

Private, not-for-profit

corporation

Funded by Health Canada,

the provinces and territories

140 employees,

$21.5M budget CADTH supports informed

decisions by providing impartial,

evidence-based research and

advice on drugs and other health

technologies.

Patient and Public Engagement in the

Common Drug Review

Public

Citizens interested in health care

system efficiency and fairness

Patient

Someone with a health condition

who receives a service

2010

Patient input process

• Provides patient perspectives

• Incorporated systematically

2006

2 public members on the Canadian

Drug Expert Committee (CDEC)

• Provide public perspective

• Have full voting rights

Patient Input Submission Includes:

• Information about submitting group

• Impact of condition and current treatment on patients

o Issues and outcomes of importance

o Benefits and adverse effects

o Unmet needs

• Experience with or expectations for new drug

• Additional information

How Patient Input Is Used

Patient input collated, summarized,

used to inform protocol and

included review report

Patient input presented, used in

deliberations and reflected in

recommendations

CADTH Review

Team

Expert

Committee

Drug Plans Patient

input

shared

Patient Input Submission Canadian Patient

Groups

Reasons and

recommendations

published

Original input and

summary sent to

CDEC

Patient

input

shared

Patient

evidence

shared

Patient

evidence

shared

Patient

input

shared

Patient

input

shared

• Patient input process is on par with, or more developed

than, the process at most HTA agencies

• Process, template, and guidance documents are clear,

relevant, and well understood

• Learnings from international peers were identified that

could be implemented

• Need to align all stakeholders on the purpose, value,

and credibility of soliciting patient input as evidence in

the CDR process

2011-2012 Patient Input Evaluation

Next Steps

• SECOR Evaluation Report and management response

are posted (www.cadth.ca)

• Will continue to improve the process:

o Phased approach, starting with those that are

easy and quick

o Using learnings from other organizations

• National (e.g., pCODR), international (e.g.,

NICE, SMC)

o Using and/or adapting material already available

• Communicate changes

• Continue to evaluate and improve

CADTH website: www.cadth.ca

Twitter: @cadth_acmts

For More Information