HTA work with the National Screening Committee (NSC)
The NSC advises government health ministers on all aspects of screening policy. Since its introduction, the NSC has often based its advice to ministers on HTA reports. The evidence to support or refute screening is often limited because of the complex issues involved and the rarity of the conditions being screened for. the NSC relies heavily upon providers of independent research such as the HTA programme to inform much of its work. In fact, the NSC website states that the work of the HTA programme provides the single most important and largest influence on its work.
The HTA programme has invested more than £13 million in screening-related research projects to date. Several of these have been commissioned directly on behalf of the NSC, and many more have informed its work.
HTA reports have informed crucial policy decisions in health areas such as cystic fibrosis, type 2 diabetes, prenatal screening, Down's syndrome and chlamydia. HTA research has been important in helping the NSC to decide when screening should and should not be offered, as well as informing wider decisions about the best tests and procedures that screening systems should use. HTA studies have also helped to establish what areas need further investigation, as well as clarifying how research should be carried out to best meet the information needs of the NSC.
For more information, view the HTA Screening Case Study
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