COTEC Vice President Yara Peterko has been attending the European Commission’s HTA Stakeholder Network meetings, which take place twice a year, to ensure that the perspective of Occupational Therapy practitioners is represented at European level. These meetings bring together key stakeholders to discuss how health technologies are assessed and introduced across Europe. During these meetings, Yara Peterko advocates for the importance of outcomes that matter to occupational therapists, such as daily functioning, participation, independence, and quality of life.

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is the process used to evaluate health technologies such as medicines, medical devices, and digital health tools, by looking at their clinical effectiveness, safety, and impact on people’s lives. HTA helps decision-makers understand which technologies offer real value for individuals and health systems.

The European Commission is working to strengthen collaboration on HTA so that countries can rely on joint European assessments, rather than each country carrying out its own. This reduces duplication and supports more consistent, high-quality decision-making across Europe. The work is organised through two main areas: Joint Clinical Assessments, which evaluate the clinical evidence of technologies, and Joint Scientific Consultations, which provide early advice to developers on evidence generation.

Being involved at this level is crucial. By engaging now, we help ensure that occupational therapy perspectives are embedded in future HTA processes, supporting the meaningful involvement of occupational therapists in HTA and ensuring that assessments reflect real-life functioning and participation.