Post on 07-May-2015
NICE Decision Support Unit
Dr Paul Tappenden
Senior Research FellowActing DSU Director
http://www.nicedsu.org.uk/
11/04/2023© The University of Sheffield
Background to DSU• Established in 2002.• Formal collaboration between the Universities of
Sheffield (lead), York and Leicester. • Peripheral members at LSHTM, Brunel and Bristol.• May also involve highly specialist expertise from
elsewhere.• Expertise covers all key areas of HTA.• Commissioned by NICE to provide a research and
training resource to support the Institute's Technology Appraisal Programme.
Main strands of work1. Appraisal-specific work
• Rapid evaluation of technical issues/analysis around health economic evaluation/modelling problems within specific technology appraisals
• An independent yet highly qualified voice
2. Methods development• Ongoing role in developing Methods guidance
for NICE • DSU Technical Support Documents• Training for industry and NICE Appraisal
Committee members• Other methods work
Appraisal-specific work• ~7 appraisals per year• Analysis of additional evidence submitted
as part of the appraisal process• Cetuximab for 1st line metastatic colorectal
cancer• Lapatinib for metastatic breast cancer
• Provision of modelling expertise unavailable elsewhere (software)• Donepezil for Alzheimer’s Disease
• Evaluating Patient access schemes (PAS)• Tocilizumab for Rheumatoid Arthritis
The NICE Methods Guide for Technology Appraisal• Setting the agenda for, organising and
facilitating the NICE methods guide for technology appraisal
• Recent work includes managing the update to the 2008 NICE methods guide – 6 workshops covering issues around evidence synthesis, utilities, uncertainty analysis, subgroups etc.
• Update due in 2011/2012• Conduit for leading academic centres in
HTA
DSU Technical Support Documents (TSDs)• Series of independent, non-prescriptive reports
commissioned to support NICE Methods Guide• 14 TSDs completed or near completion• Main areas:
• Health utilities (x5)• Evidence synthesis (x7)• Model development and reviewing evidence for
informing model parameters• Survival modelling using individual patient data• Use of regression methods in HTA models
Other DSU methods research• Report and related publications demonstrating
the feasibility of applying Value of Information methods.
• Feasibility projects relating to computerised decision support systems and orphan drugs
• Equity arguments applied to orphan drugs• Discounting of costs and benefits• The role of patient valuations of health states• The incorporation of uncertainty into cost-
effectiveness models• The incorporation of equity weights into cost
effectiveness models and decision making
Methods training • Bridge between NICE and the pharmaceutical
industry in providing methods training• “Masterclasses” held:
• Measurement and valuation of health-related quality of life
• Network meta-analysis & indirect comparisons• NICE Appraisal Process, modelling, what makes
a good submission, uncertainty analysis
Future updates• Join our mailing list at :
http://www.nicedsu.org.uk