International overview of health technology assessment training tools and materials for patients and consumers.

Objectives: The study, conducted by the French National Authority for Health (HAS), aimed to identify available online health technology assessment (HTA) training tools for patients, specifically those used by HTA bodies (HTAbs) and major selected European and international patient and consumer groups (PCGs), to inform an HTA training approach for HAS.

Methods: A literature search, a review of selected websites, semi-structured interviews with HTAbs and patient groups, and discussion within a dedicated working group to help target the needs and preferences of patients and consumers were conducted. Online HTA training tools relating to HTA and patient and public involvement (PPI), published or translated into English or French, were included in the study results.

The contribution of French patient and consumer groups to health technology assessments over a 2-year period: an observational retrospective study.

Background: In 2017, The French National Authority for Health (HAS) created an open, online, systematic contribution process to enable patient and consumer groups (PCGs) to contribute to health technology assessment (HTA) carried out to aid public authorities in reimbursement and pricing decision making.

Objectives: This retrospective study analyzes how French PCGs contributed to the HTA process within the HAS for the first 2 years of this new mechanism.

Methods: PCG contributions received between 01 January 2017 and 31 December 2018 and the recording of deliberations leading to reports of the corresponding HTAs were included.

[Shared decision-making, dialogue and mutual agreement between the patient and health professionals].

Shared decision-making corresponds to a medical decision-making model whereby the patient and health professionals discuss the available options and prioritise them according to the patient's preferences. Patient decision aids can be useful in this dialogue. They can help to improve the quality of care.

Non-drug treatment (excluding surgery) in rheumatoid arthritis: clinical practice guidelines.

Objectives: Because drugs do not halt joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), non-drug treatments are an important adjunct to drug treatment. Establishing rules governing their use is difficult because treatment is multidisciplinary, complex, and difficult to assess. The aims of these guidelines were to (a) establish the indications for physical therapies and for educational, psychological, and other non-drug interventions, (b) address social welfare, occupational, and organizational issues.