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Assessing the international use of health technology assessments: exploring the merits of different methods when applied to the National Institute of health Research Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme

Assessing the international use of health technology assessments: exploring the merits of different methods when applied to the National Institute of health Research Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme
Assessing the international use of health technology assessments: exploring the merits of different methods when applied to the National Institute of health Research Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme
Objectives: This study presents findings from a study that explores the merits of different methods for assessing the international use of UK funded research by the National Institute of Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme.

Methods: The study adopted an exploratory approach and used three core methods: (i) Academic use was explored through bibliometric and citation analysis of the top ten most cited health technology assessment (HTA) reports. (ii) Internet use was assessed using Webtrends software to identify the proportion of international visits of the top ten most downloaded HTA reports from January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2010. (iii) International HTA use was assessed by searching the Center for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) HTA database to explore the citation of NIHR HTA reports in reports by non-UK HTA agencies.

Results: Bibliometric analysis identified published output and international citations with 41 percent of the 549 journals citing NIHR HTA reports being based in the United States. Nine of ten most downloaded reports from the NIHR HTA Web site (www.hta.ac.uk) had in excess of 50 percent of visits outside the United Kingdom. Four of five selected NIHR HTA reports were cited in twenty-eight other HTA reports, eighteen of these outside the United Kingdom.

Conclusions: Assessing international use is important when exploring the uptake of research evidence. Methods used in identifying research impact, such as bibliometrics and Webtrends, are helpful in generating evidence of international use. HTA agencies should consider these techniques and international use when assessing the uptake of findings from research they undertake and/or commission.
technology assessment, research methods, utilization, bibliometrics
0266-4623
192-197
Wright, David
b82e86cd-3f68-4e1e-a140-4cd9a1ed0d42
Milne, Ruairidh
bd90470b-bba2-49a1-aa12-f1319d78afc2
Price, Alison
674adb2b-661b-44a3-8647-490267ba33f5
Tose, Nicola
e2fc0358-8437-426d-ac79-74c463e0230a
Wright, David
b82e86cd-3f68-4e1e-a140-4cd9a1ed0d42
Milne, Ruairidh
bd90470b-bba2-49a1-aa12-f1319d78afc2
Price, Alison
674adb2b-661b-44a3-8647-490267ba33f5
Tose, Nicola
e2fc0358-8437-426d-ac79-74c463e0230a

Wright, David, Milne, Ruairidh, Price, Alison and Tose, Nicola (2013) Assessing the international use of health technology assessments: exploring the merits of different methods when applied to the National Institute of health Research Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 29 (2), 192-197. (doi:10.1017/S026646231300010X).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objectives: This study presents findings from a study that explores the merits of different methods for assessing the international use of UK funded research by the National Institute of Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme.

Methods: The study adopted an exploratory approach and used three core methods: (i) Academic use was explored through bibliometric and citation analysis of the top ten most cited health technology assessment (HTA) reports. (ii) Internet use was assessed using Webtrends software to identify the proportion of international visits of the top ten most downloaded HTA reports from January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2010. (iii) International HTA use was assessed by searching the Center for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) HTA database to explore the citation of NIHR HTA reports in reports by non-UK HTA agencies.

Results: Bibliometric analysis identified published output and international citations with 41 percent of the 549 journals citing NIHR HTA reports being based in the United States. Nine of ten most downloaded reports from the NIHR HTA Web site (www.hta.ac.uk) had in excess of 50 percent of visits outside the United Kingdom. Four of five selected NIHR HTA reports were cited in twenty-eight other HTA reports, eighteen of these outside the United Kingdom.

Conclusions: Assessing international use is important when exploring the uptake of research evidence. Methods used in identifying research impact, such as bibliometrics and Webtrends, are helpful in generating evidence of international use. HTA agencies should consider these techniques and international use when assessing the uptake of findings from research they undertake and/or commission.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 3 April 2013
Published date: April 2013
Keywords: technology assessment, research methods, utilization, bibliometrics
Organisations: Faculty of Medicine

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 368199
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/368199
ISSN: 0266-4623
PURE UUID: 46115f88-60c1-4598-9291-02cff96d0dde
ORCID for Ruairidh Milne: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5117-4380

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Date deposited: 20 Aug 2014 13:42
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:58

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Contributors

Author: David Wright
Author: Ruairidh Milne ORCID iD
Author: Alison Price
Author: Nicola Tose

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