Still time to register for a place on our Online International Health Technology Assessment and Reimbursement programme

There's still time to build your understanding of health technology assessment with the only online course offering the full range of skills needed by those developing health technologies for market.

Course description

This is the only online course offering the full range of skills needed by those developing health technologies for markets across the globe.

The course is taught by experts who work directly with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on health technology appraisals.

You’ll gain an understanding of the entire HTA process alongside practical insights into the markets, pricing and customers needed for new product development in the healthcare industry. If you’re already working or aspire to work in the field of health technology assessment, health economics or market access, this course will give you the training you need to progress in your career or gain a post as a health technology evaluator or commissioner.

The course is suited to those working in the pharmaceutical, medical devices or diagnostics industries worldwide, or within health technology policy formulation, management and evidence-based commissioning and purchasing. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the processes and contexts of markets, pricing and customers needed for new product development in multiple jurisdictions.

Online chat

If you'd like to find out more about studying with us, join us for an online chat on Monday 24th August. You'll have the chance to ask course tutors your questions during question and answer sessions.

Register your interest for an online chat
Continuing Professional Development

All modules on this course can be studied as standalone CPD modules. It is possible to complete standalone modules and then apply to transfer to an MSc/PGDip/PGCert qualification. Any time spent on the CPD route counts toward the time-limit a student has to complete their chosen qualification.

Explore core and optional modules

Teaching

Our teaching combines three key elements:
Authentic learning: we use real-world, real-life, up-to-date case studies, examples and scenarios. You can immediately see how your learning is "authentic" and applicable to your own working life
Social learning: We learn from each other as much as from purely independent study. This course uses multiple tools to deliver content and facilitate interaction with and between tutors and students
Flexibility: The majority of the online reading materials are heavily supplemented with videos, screencasts, internet-based materials, and the use of interactive online tools. Materials are provided in blocks or "sessions" of usually 2-3 weeks duration.
Assessment

Assessment is by coursework and project work.
Duration

MSc or PG Diploma: 2-5 years, part-time

PG Certificate: 1-2 years, part-time

Your career

Our graduates typically work for Large and small, national and international pharmaceutical and devices companies Health economics consultancies (including being self-employed in this capacity) Health care providers and hospital organisations Government departments, ministries and agencies HTA agencies Universities

Our students live and work all over the world. They are seeking to develop key skills to enhance their careers within HTA, market access, trial design and other aspects of health technology assessment in the private or public sector.
Entry requirements

2:1 honours degree in a related subject.

Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements

Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent.

Other English language qualifications we accept

Fees and funding

Home/EU (2020 annual fee) : £5,750 in Year 1, £5,750 in Year 2
Overseas (2020 annual fee) : £5,750 in Year 1, £5,750 in Year 2

If you're studying part-time or for an alternative qualification then the fee could be different. Due to inflation, the fee for Home/EU students could also increase after your first year of study. Contact the Student Fees team to check.


Financial information for postgraduate taught courses

Business as usual for Online Learning from HEDS

With most UK universities moving their teaching online during the coronavirus outbreak, HEDS has a wealth of expertise as an experienced provider of online courses, making the transition for our face-to-face courses relatively straightforward.

Since 2011, HEDS has offered a fully online masters programme in the form of the MSc in International Health Technology Assessment and Reimbursement, and also offers two FREE online courses via Futurelearn- Measuring and Valuing Health, and Health Technology Assessment: Choosing which treatments get funded.

Image  © University of Sheffield 2020

Our online MSc, PG Diploma and PG Certificate programmes offer students the ability to study flexibly, over a 2-4 year period, fitting study in around work and other life commitments. Online learning is not simply face-to-face teaching, digitised. It's a completely different approach to delivering our expertise, using short-format video, audio, online tasks, discussions and access to a vast e-Library of books, databases and journals to support independent learning.

ScHARR has no less than 3 learning technologists whose role is to ensure our online teaching runs smoothly and takes advantage of new technologies as they emerge, ensuring our students have the most straightforward and engaging learning experience.

If you want to try online learning yourself, you can enrol on our FREE courses now. Both courses are available to register, and Health Technology Assessment: Choosing which treatments get funded starts its current ‘live’ run on Monday 30th March 2020. You’ll be learning from world-leading experts in an accessible and enjoyable way, and it might just make you wonder how far online learning could take you!

Dr Marrissa Martyn-St James wins Best Oral Presentation Award at HTAi 2019

Congratulations to our own Dr Marrissa Martyn-St James who won the Best Oral Presentation Award at HTAi 2019 with her talk on Developing a Decision Tool for Selecting Approaches for Rapid Reviews. The details of the talk are below and you can contact Marrissa at m.martyn-stjames@sheffield.ac.uk

Authors: Abdullah Pandor, Eva Kaltenthaler, Marrissa Martyn-St James (presenter), Ruth Wong, Katy Cooper, Munya Dimairo, Alicia O’Cathain, Fiona Campbell, Andrew Booth

HTAi 2019 Best Oral Presentation

Abstract summary:

A modified online Delphi survey was conducted to reach consensus on items in the STARR (SelecTing Approaches for Rapid Reviews) decision tool for adapting review processes. Following pilot testing of the tool, a panel of 30 experts was recruited. Delphi consensus of ≥70% agreement of 20 items in the final STARR decision tool was reached at Round 2.

Introduction:

Dr Marrissa Martyn-St-James

Rapid reviews are of increasing importance within evidence synthesis and health technology assessment (HTA) due to the need for timely evidence to underpin the assessment of new technologies. Financial constraints have also contributed to the increase in rapid reviews. There are many rapid review methods available. However, there is little definitive guidance as to which methods are most appropriate. We developed the STARR (SelecTing Approaches for Rapid Reviews), decision tool for adapting review processes through a modified Delphi approach. The STARR tool was initially developed around our work in rapid reviews.

Method:

A modified online Delphi survey was conducted in May 2018. The STARR tool covers four themes: interaction with commissioners/policy-makers, scoping and searching the evidence base, data extraction and synthesis methods, and reporting of rapid review methods. The Delphi included 8 questions on theme headers and descriptors plus 11 questions on items in the tool. Following independent pilot testing, a panel of 30 experts who had published rapid reviews or been involved in development of their methods were invited to complete an online questionnaire through an iterative process including suggestions for changes. Importance of each item was rated on a scale of 1 (not important) to 9 (critically important). Consensus was ≥70% agreement across each item rated ≥7. All responses were collected in Delphi Manager® software.

Results:

Consensus was reached at Round 1 (30 respondents). However, following Round 1, one additional item on quality assessment that was suggested was added, and suggestions to improve clarity and understanding of the decision tool were made. Final consensus of 20 STARR items was reached after Round 2 (24 respondents).

Conclusions:

Delphi consensus of the final STARR decision tool was reached after two rounds. Roll-out of the STARR decision tool is now planned to assist in helping plan rapid reviews.

HEDS staff in Vancouver for HTAI

Once again we have a team of staff representing HEDS for the annual HTAI conference, which this year will be in Vancouver (1^st-5^th June).  Dr Andrew Booth and Dr Fiona Campbell will be co-presenting a workshop.

Professor Eva Kaltenthaler, Dr Marrissa Martyn St. James and Mark Clowes are presenting a pre-conference workshop on Rapid Review Methods for HTA. Mark will also be giving an oral presentation on the use of text mining to identify domains of wellbeing. Dr Jean Hamilton will be presenting a paper on Evidence synthesis with limited studies, based on the work of Dr Kate Ren. If you are attending the conference, we hope you can come along to some of our sessions and feel free to speak to any of our staff, they're very friendly!

HTAi 2018 full programme can be viewed here