The Evidence Decision Support Program Within the Surgery Strategic Clinical Network of Alberta Health Services in Canada

The Surgery Strategic Clinical Network (SSCN) within Alberta Health Services (AHS) has implemented an “Evidence Decision Support Program (EDSP)” to help identify, prioritize, evaluate, and recommend new technologies for possible introduction into the health-care system, with specific focus on the hospital setting. The EDSP does not conduct health technology assessment (HTA) reports, but rather provides a model to make evidence-informed decision about whether and under what conditions innovations should be adopted. The Program consists of a standing multidisciplinary committee (consisting of scientists, clinicians, nurse managers, and administrators) and uses standardized forms and processes to gather both context-free and context-sensitive evidence on new technologies being considered. The objective is to review the evidence in context and use external professional expertise, when required, to make recommendations to the Surgical Executive Committee for subsequent decision. The goal is to ensure patients receive optimal treatment while safety, training/credentialing, resources, and other organizational issues are considered. Unlike traditional large-scale HTA organizations, the EDSP collects and integrates local data with published HTA reports. This helps to ensure better applicability of HTA report recommendations to meet local needs. The scope of the Program’s impact is varied and may include impact on hospital/operating room budgets, clinical practices, patient outcomes monitoring, training, and credentialing. The EDSP continues to evolve as stakeholder engagement and input with respect to practical issues of implementing recommendations for adoption of new technology are recognized.