DIMDI - Collaborations

Collaborations

The DAHTA works with national and international professional associations and HTA agencies. In addition, DAHTA employees are active on numerous networks as members, collaboration partners or consultants.

National

• Federal Centre for Health Education (BzgA)
  As a federal authority in the Ministry of Health (BMG) the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) develops campaigns, programmes and projects for disease prevention and promotion of health. The DAHTA operates together with the BZgA within the framework of projects.
• German Cochrane Centre (DCZ)
  The German Cochrane Centre (DCZ) is located in the Institute for Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics at the University of Freiburg. The centre is an important database provider in the area of evaluation of medical procedures and technologies to close collaboration partners of the DIMDI.
• German Association for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (GMDS)
  The German Association for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (GMDS) combines three disciplines as a professional association that are fundamental to HTA. The know-how of the GMDS provides a significant contribution to the development of the HTA methodology, in particular with regard to the preparation of HTA reports and the transferability of international results.
• German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)
  The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) evaluates the benefits and disadvantages of medical procedures. The IQWiG is represented on the HTA Board of Trustees of the DAHTA as a permanent guest. In addition, a robust exchange and an interactive collaboration exist (e.g. in the form of common workshops, presentations, etc.) Together with the DAHTA, they represent the German HTA environment in the European network EUnetHTA.
• German Network for Evidence-Based Medicine (DNEbM)
  The staff of the DAHTA are members of the German Network for Evidence Based Medicine (DNEbM) and are active in the professional HTA area. They participate as consultants at annual seminars, amongst other activities.
• German Central Library for Medicine (ZB MED)
  The Central Library ZB MED makes available publications in the subjects of medicine, health care, nutrition, environmental and agricultural sciences. Literature for the HTA reports is made available here. In addition, the ZB MED supports the DAHTA in the publication of HTA reports.
• Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology (IGKE)
  The DAHTA regularly uses interns from the Institute of Health Economics and Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Cologne (IGKE).
• The Institute of Health and Work NRW (LIGA.NRW)
  The Institute of Health and Work of North Rhine-Westphalia (LIGA.NRW) advises the local government, authorities and structures as well as the municipalities in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in questions of health and health policy. In addition, the institute supports interests in the commercial world in terms of safety and health protection. Project activities on the topic of Health Impact Analysis (HIA) are undertaken together with the DAHTA.

International

• European Network for HTA (EUnetHTA)
  On completion of the EUnetHTA project financed by the EU Commission (2006-2008), a continuation of the collaboration as an EUnetHTA cooperation was agreed. The goal of the project at the time was the systematic exchange of information in the European environment. With the formation of EUnetHTA Joint Action, which will be subsidised by the EU Commission from 2010 to 2012, the European network will be stabilised in the long term beyond the project phase. This Joint Action has representation by 34 organisations from 23 EU member states and Norway. DAHTA of the DIMDI is one of the founding members, and provides technical know-how in terms of work package 6 (WP6) on the topic of  the “European HTA Information Management System” to the project. In addition, the DAHTA of the DIMDI is involved in professional methodological activities in work package 4 (WP4), as well as in the sample application of the HTA Core Model for the creation of HTA reports as prepared within the framework of the EUnetHTA project. From Germany, the DAHTA of the DIMDI and the IQWiG participate in the EUnetHTA cooperation.
• Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG)
  Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG) is a research institute for health policy and is the competency centre and promotion body for health promotion in Austria. Exchanges of HTA methodology with the GÖG take place on a regular basis. In addition, the staff of the GÖG are often authors of DAHTA HTA reports.
• Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institut (LBI)
  The LBI HTA provides academic bases for decision support in health care. The DAHTA works with the LBI HTA within the framework of project activities, e.g. on the topic of impact. In addition, a regular exchange of HTA methodology takes place.
• Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi)
  The society Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) is a forum for all those involved in a health system – be it in research, teaching, industry or as an authority – and interested in the science, development and application of HTA. HTAi is the successor to the current professional association International Society for Technology Assessment in Health Care (ISTAHC), which was dissolved at its last session in Canmore (Canada) in 2003.
• International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA)
  The DAHTA of the DIMDI has been a member of the international network of public HTA agencies (INAHTA) since 1999, and has been a member of the board since 2003. The DAHTA of the DIMDI manages the INAHTA work group for internal communication. The group has the task on the one hand of reinforcing the exchange of information between INAHTA members and extending the use of common resources, and on the other of communicating INAHTA activities externally. The starting point of INAHTA information is the INAHTA database, which contains bibliographical details on planned HTA reports as well as reports already created by members. Since 2003, the INAHTA database has been available for searching at no charge via the DIMDI as well. INAHTA meets on an annual basis in conjunction with the international conference of the HTA professional association Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi).