Patients are now being recognised for their vital role in medical research, spanning the whole lifecycle of drug development. A new article published on the The Evidence Base discusses the importance of including lay summaries alongside health technology assessments (HTA). Many agencies, such as the NHS, National Institute for Health Research and EUnetHTA, have already published plain language summaries of their findings, highlighting their dedication to putting patients at the centre of HTA decision making.

All the work from these institutions has been powerful in providing patients with a voice, and rationale, for the decisions made by HTA agencies. Consequently, this can go on to improve the quality of healthcare provided by the sector as many viewpoints are accounted for. Given the evidence, it seems that including lay summaries in HTAs may be a step forward for both decision-making and patient livelihoods. 

Darcy Hodge, The Evidence base

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