A Smarter Way to Invest in Health: Ukraine’s First Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment Pilot

As Ukraine continues to modernize its healthcare system, one innovation stands out for its potential to transform hospital decision-making: Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment (HB-HTA).

HB-HTA is an evidence-based process that helps hospitals evaluate new and existing medical technologies in terms of their clinical effectiveness, safety, and cost-efficiency. For hospital administrators navigating tight budgets and increasing demands, HB-HTA offers a powerful tool to inform decisions about adopting new technologies—or deciding when to say no.

This pilot builds on Ukraine’s broader leadership in institutionalizing Health Technology Assessment (HTA) practices at the national level—an approach introduced with support from the USAID SAFEMed Activity in partnership with the Ministry of Health to improve the transparency, efficiency, and quality of medicine and medical device procurement.

A First for Ukraine

With support from the USAID SAFEMed Activity, Ukraine recently completed its first HB-HTA pilot at the Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery. Launched in June 2023, the pilot was conducted through a partnership between SAFEMed, the Amosov Institute, the State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (MOH), and Bogomolets National Medical University.

The pilot focused on the use of “skirted” aortic valves in transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for patients with aortic stenosis—an advanced cardiac procedure with the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes.

Over the course of a year, a multidisciplinary team assessed the clinical and economic value of this technology in the hospital setting. In December 2024, more than 30 participants gathered at a roundtable hosted by the Amosov Institute to review the pilot’s results.

Strengthening Hospital Decision-Making

At the event, SAFEMed presented progress on integrating HB-HTA into Ukraine’s health system and underscored its role in empowering hospitals, especially in the context of decentralization. Key lessons from the pilot included:

• The importance of a well-trained, motivated, and multidisciplinary team
• The need for sufficient time to complete assessments
• Strong support from hospital leadership
• Alignment with international HB-HTA standards

Hospital staff expressed enthusiasm about the methodology, particularly its potential to guide smarter budget allocation and procurement decisions.

“This approach enables hospitals to make data-driven decisions based on real-world clinical practice,” said one pilot participant. “It ensures that investments in health technologies are aligned with actual patient needs and institutional priorities.”

Looking Ahead

In a resource-constrained environment, HB-HTA offers a practical and scalable solution to improve the quality and efficiency of care. Based on the success of the pilot, there is strong potential for expanding this methodology to other hospitals across Ukraine. By integrating HB-HTA into routine hospital management, Ukraine continues taking steps toward a more sustainable, equitable, and evidence-based healthcare system.