Suggesting HTA technologies to ACE Singapore (Around October) – 5 steps guide

The Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) conducts technical evaluations to assess the effectiveness, safety, and value of health technologies (such as drugs and medical devices) that are used to diagnose, treat or prevent different medical conditions. These evaluations inform the Ministry of Health (MOH) advisory committees when they make funding recommendations. Patients, carers or representatives from a patient or voluntary organisation can suggest which health technologies ACE should evaluate for different conditions (topics).

1. Application forms are sent to patients’ organizations each year, usually around October

• ACE invites patient organisations and clinicians to submit applications for health technologies that they would like ACE to evaluate for different conditions. This is known as the annual call for topics.
• ACE will send all patient organisations an application form via email that they can distribute to their members to complete or they can collate their members’ suggestions and complete the form on their behalf. An online form is also available for patients who prefer to submit topics electronically.

2. Patients suggest which Health Technology they would like ACE to evaluate

• Patients or carers may have tried or heard of a health technology and feel that it should be considered for funding. In the application form they will need to include:

i. Name of the health technology

??????????????????????????????????????????????? ii.???? Medical condition it is used for

?????????????????????????????????????????????? iii.???? Dosage form

?????????????????????????????????????????????? iv.???? Reasons why the health technology should be funded

• If patients have used the health technology before, they can also describe its benefits and disadvantages.

2.????? Forms are returned to ACE

• Application forms should be returned to ACE by the date stated on the form. Patients can send the form directly to [email protected] or to their patient organisation for collation into a combined submission.
• Patients can also write to ACE if they need help with the application form or have any questions.

3.????? Suitable Health Technologies are prioritized for the evaluation

• ACE reviews each application to ensure that the health technologies suggested are suitable for evaluation. Each health technology is then ranked in order of priority for evaluation by MOH advisory committees
• The advisory committees are more likely to select health technologies for evaluation if their benefits are plausible and supported by evidence, and they help fill an unmet clinical need for patients. Topics that are not selected by the advisory committees will not be evaluated by ACE.

4.????? ACE notifies the patients of the application outcome

• ACE will advise the patient or patient organisation who submitted the application form if the health technology they suggested has been selected for evaluation, or explain why not in the event of a negative outcome. All health technologies selected for evaluation are added to ACE’s workplan. ACE will contact patient organisations once the evaluation begins to seek input from their members.

Some health technologies are outside ACE’s remit and will not be prioritised for evaluation.

Patients should not include them in their forms:

·?????? Health technologies that do not have approval for use in Singapore yet

·?????? Dental technologies

·?????? Dialysis solutions

·?????? Fertility technologies

·?????? General Sale List items (health products that can be

·?????? purchased from retail outlets without a prescription)

·?????? Homeopathic medicines

·?????? Lifestyle drugs (such as medicines to treat impotence,

·?????? baldness or wrinkles)

·?????? Traditional Chinese medicines

·?????? Telemedicine

·?????? Wound dressings

Note: - Patients can search for approved drugs and medical devices at the

·??????? Register of Therapeutics Products

·?????? Singapore Medical Device Register

For more information: https://www.ace-hta.gov.sg/Patients-And-Community/opportunities-for-patient-involvement