Value in health and patient experience: challenges and opportunities for social participation to ensure equity in the access to new health technologies

Abstract

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is a systematic process of analyzing clinical, economic and social evidence of health technologies, to support decision-making processes in health. In Brazil, although social participation in these processes has been
growing in recent years, there are still challenges to be associated with value-in-health in public policies. But value-in-health
can only be achieved through understanding the entire patient's journey within their healthcare lines. The objective of this manuscript is to contribute to promoting equity in access to healthcare through the inclusion of broader criteria during the evaluation of technologies, criteria that incorporate the patient's perspective. This text is, therefore, an essay that describes methods used to measure the patient experience, and which can be included as complementary analyzes in HTA processes. Understanding the itinerary followed by patients in their lines of care and a more inclusive and transparent dialogue with society in health decision-making processes are ways to, ultimately, better integrate health care networks, as well as promote better cost management and sector regulation.