Management of technological innovations in health care: Analysis and comparison of some regional policies in Italy

The increasing availability of health technologies to the NHS raises questions about the sustainability and govern of innovative technologies' entry into clinical practice. The relevance of the issue has been recognized at local, regional and central level thus enabling initiatives and tools for managing selection, evaluation, procurement and reimbursement of health technologies. Health technology assessment (HTA) is a rapidly evolving process, embracing different types of assessments about the value of new and existing technologies. Increasingly organizations are undertaking HTA in Italy. The objective of this work is describing and analyzing some recent HTA regional experiences in five Italian Regions: Campania, Emilia Romagna, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy, Veneto. The comparison focuses on programs' structure, methods, future development and engagement of all stakeholders.