The purpose of this declaration is to discover any financial or professional interest on the part of a person, or on the part of their immediate family, who is providing input to the Health Technology Assessment Policy and Methods Review (HTA Review).
Such interests may affect, or have the appearance of affecting, a person’s view on the merits of certain HTA policies or methods. The existence of such interests may be a ‘conflict of interest’. A conflict of interest is declared so that information provided can be assessed fairly and in a transparent manner. The declarations are confidential and do not prevent anyone from providing their comments. A conflict of interest can be declared, but does not mean a person should not still provide their comments.
A financial interest may include, but is not limited to, any of the following involvement with companies or other organisations engaged in the development, manufacture, marketing or distribution of health technologies:
- current shareholdings
- board memberships or other offices
- paid employment or contracting work
- grants
- hospitality (including conferences, travel).
A professional interest may include, but is not limited to, involvement in any of the following:
- development, manufacture or marketing and distribution of vaccines, drugs and medicinal preparations
- making a public statement about certain HTA polices or methods or the outcomes of HTA processes.