Public Consultation on the Draft MSAC Guidelines
The public consultation process for the Draft MSAC Guidelines closed on 12 October 2020 and the Department appreciates the contribution of all organisations and individuals who made a submission. The public submissions will be made available in the future.Background
The Medical Services Advisory Committee is an independent scientific committee, established by the Minister for Health in 1998. The committee comprises individuals with expertise in clinical medicine, health economics and consumer matters.MSAC evaluates medical services, health technologies and health programs proposed for public funding, in order to advise the Minister for Health on whether a medical service, health technology or program should be publicly funded, and the circumstances in which it should be funded. Supported by the PICO Advisory Sub-Committee (PASC) and Evaluation Sub-Committee (ESC), MSAC assesses applications on their comparative safety, clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness, and total cost/financial impact, using best available evidence
The MSAC Guidelines (Therapeutic Guidelines and Investigative Guidelines for Preparing Assessment Reports for MSAC), and associated Assessment Report templates, provide practical information on how to present evidence to MSAC and its Sub-Committees. The Guidelines are also used by other stakeholders, including Health Technology Assessment groups, the medical profession, industry, clinical and patient groups, and the general community as a source of information.
The Guidelines promote processes to ensure Australians have access to safe, clinically effective and cost effective medical services, health technologies and health programs.
Scope and Outline of the Review
A review of the MSAC Guidelines (the Review) has commenced, to ensure assessment processes are aligned with best practice in Health Technology Assessment, for therapeutic and investigative medical technologies and services. The Review has looked at current versions of the Therapeutic Guidelines (version 2.0, March 2016) and Investigative Guidelines (version 3.0, July 2017), and has addressed technical method issues raised by MSAC and stakeholders since the last substantial revision. These Draft MSAC Guidelines provide guidance for newer technologies, including genetic testing for heritable diseases and other screening tests. An external contractor, Adelaide Health Technology Assessment (AHTA), was tasked to review and develop these Draft MSAC Guidelines for consultation.Stakeholders now have the opportunity to engage with and provide comments on the Draft MSAC Guidelines during this call for public submissions. Subscribers to MSAC’s email bulletin have been notified by email.
Guidelines Review Steering Committee and Technical Reference Group
A Guidelines Review Steering Committee was established to provide strategic oversight.A Technical Reference Group was established to provide technical oversight.
The Steering Committee consists of representatives from MSAC, ESC and PASC, as well as other technical experts, as detailed below:
- Ms Adriana Platona (Chair) – Departmental Officer
- Professor Robyn Ward – MSAC Chair
- Professor Kwun Fong – ESC Chair & MSAC Deputy Chair
- Professor Andrew Wilson – PASC Chair
- Ms Debra Kay – MSAC member
- Professor Emily Lancsar – MSAC & ESC member
- Dr Sarah Norris – MSAC member & ESC Deputy Chair
- Dr Neil Everest – Departmental Officer
- Mr Andrew Mitchell – Departmental Officer
- Ms Natasha Ryan – Departmental Officer
- Dr Alicia Segrave – Departmental Officer
- Ms Renaye Lucchese - Departmental Officer
- Dr Sarah Norris (Chair) – MSAC member & ESC Deputy Chair
- Associate Professor Adrienne Morey – MSAC & PASC member
- Associate Professor Hossein Afzali – ESC member
- Professor Patrick Bossuyt – Technical Expert
- Associate Professor Katy Bell – ESC member
- Ms Linda Mundy – RCPA representative
- Professor Michael Barton – RANZCR representative
- Dr Sally Wortley – Consumer Consultative Committee member
- Mr Andrew Mitchell – Departmental Officer
- Dr Neil Everest – Departmental Officer
- Dr David Hau – Departmental Officer (TGA)
- Dr Catherine Brogan – Departmental Officer