THE USE OF SOCIETAL CRITERIA IN PRIORITY SETTING FOR HEALTH TECHNOLOGY-ASSESSMENT IN THE NETHERLANDS - INITIAL EXPERIENCES AND FUTURE CHALLENGES

Priority setting for the evaluation of health technologies in the Neth erlands is exclusively based on the scientific merits of individual re search proposals. This process has not resulted in satisfactory alloca tion of resources. Therefore, societal criteria for setting priorities for health technology assessment have been proposed as an adjunct to scientific criteria. These societal criteria include the burden of dis ease, uncertainty about the (cost-)effectiveness of the intervention a t issue, the potential benefits of the research project, and its poten tial impact on health care. To realize the full potential of this mode l for priority setting, a number of methodological issues need to be a ddressed. Joint efforts of researchers and policy makers in this field are necessary for future progress.