Expanding the scientific basis of health technology assessment: a research agenda for the next decade.

OBJECTIVES The complexity of health technology assessment (HTA) has increased, in part because of its evolution through three distinct phases: the machine, the clinical outcomes, and the delivery models. However, the theoretical foundation for the field remains underdeveloped. METHODS It is high time for HTA to bring together aspects of conceptual and theoretical works from other fields to strengthen the foundation of HTA. RESULTS Many challenges await the further development of HTA. They can be captured around three research themes: adapting HTA to an evolving analysis object; translating HTA results into policy, management, and practice decisions; and evaluating organizational models of HTA. CONCLUSIONS Consolidating the scientific basis of HTA is essential if we are to succeed in increasing the relevance of HTA in some of the most challenging health-related decisions that we will make as individuals and societies.