Unlocking The Voice Of Patients: Are Engagement Initiatives Truly Transforming Canadian HTA Reviews?

By Nicole Fusco, ScD, Kristin Kistler, PhD

The patient perspective is now a critical component in assessing the value of new therapies, moving beyond traditional reliance on strictly clinical endpoints like mortality and tumor shrinkage. Patients offer the most relevant insight into their experience with a health state and treatment, including factors that impact quality of life and daily activities. This is especially true when treatments have similar survival benefits, where patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can provide essential data on symptom impact and side effects.

This analysis of Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC) health technology assessments reveals how increased emphasis on the patient voice is shaping drug reimbursement data. While most trials for non-small cell lung cancer, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis reported some PRO data—most commonly health-related quality of life (HRQoL)—the specific tools and measures used remain varied. Understanding how to select and standardize the most meaningful PROs early in drug development is key to providing comprehensive evidence for regulatory and reimbursement decisions.

Access the full article to learn what kinds of PROs are being submitted to CDA-AMC and what the next steps are for standardizing their collection.