TY - JOUR T1 - Health technology assessment in Iran: challenges and views TT - JF - MJIRI JO - MJIRI VL - 28 IS - 1 UR - http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/article-1-2629-en.html Y1 - 2014 SP - 1065 EP - 1071 KW - Evidence Based Policy Making KW - HTA KW - Challenges KW - Iran. N2 -   Background: Various decisions have been made on technology application at all levels of the health system in different countries around the world. Health technology assessment is considered as one of the best scientific tools at the service of policy- makers. This study attempts to investigate the current challenges of Iran’s health technology assessment and provide appropriate strategies to establish and institutionalize this program.   Methods : This study was carried out in two independent phases. In the first, electronic databases such as Medline (via Pub Med) and Scientific Information Database (SID) were searched to provide a list of challenges of Iran’s health technology assessment. The views and opinions of the experts and practitioners on HTA challenges were studied through a questionnaire in the second phase which was then analyzed by SPSS Software version 16. This has been an observational and analytical study with a thematic analysis.   Results : In the first phase, seven papers were retrieved from which, twenty- two HTA challenges in Iran were extracted by the researchers and they were used as the base for designing a structured questionnaire of the second phase. The views of the experts on the challenges of health technology assessment were categorized as follows: organizational culture, stewardship, stakeholders, health system management, infrastructures and external pressures which were mentioned in more than 60% of the cases and were also common in the views.   Conclusion : The identification and prioritization of HTA challenges which were approved by those experts involved in the strategic planning of the Department of Health Technology Assessment will be a step forward in the promotion of an evidence- based policy- making and in the production of comprehensive scientific evidence. M3 ER -