Institutionalization of Health Technology Assessment in a University Hospital: Contributions to Management and Nursing

Abstract

Introduction: The institutionalization of Health Technology Assessment in hospitals can contribute to bringing scientific evidence, management, and care closer together, improving technology assessment and decision-making processes. In this context, Nursing has the potential to operate at the interface between assessment, evidence implementation, and clinical practice.

Objective: To analyze the implementation of a Health Technology Assessment Unit in a public university hospital, highlighting its implications for institutional governance, decision-making, and the role of Nursing.

Methods: An institutional experience report with an analytical approach and qualitative design. Implementation occurred in six stages: situational diagnosis, strategic planning, team training, organizational structuring, project implementation, and collaboration within networks. The experience was systematized using institutional documents, administrative records, technical-scientific reports, and academic output, analyzed through an interpretive approach.

Results: The implementation of the unit enabled the establishment of formal workflows for technology assessment and deliberation and supported institutional decision-making processes. Four evidence-based clinical protocols were updated, and three partial economic evaluations were conducted. Greater integration of evidence into management processes and the identification of practices potentially requiring review were observed. Nursing participated in the assessment, translation, and implementation of evidence, operating at the interface between technology, management, and care.

Conclusion: The experience demonstrated the potential of institutionalizing Health Technology Assessment to integrate technology assessment, evidence production, management, and care within the hospital context, while also expanding Nursing participation in these processes. Its consolidation depends on organizational conditions, specialized training, institutional sustainability, and the integration of evidence into decision-making processes.