LAUSR

The COVID-19 pandemic will have unprecedented impacts on individuals, healthcare systems and economies worldwide. The exponential growth of infected individuals [1] will soon be matched by the growth rate of scientific literature [2] on: the disease mechanism [3], transmission dynamics [4], prevention strategies [5], treatment [6], consequences for other diseases and their management [7], other health and/ or social impacts [8], public health impacts [9, 10] and the economic impacts [11]. As healthcare systems turn their entire attention to ‘fighting this war’ [12], it will not be without casualties in other parts of the system. This commentary offers some insights on what the COVID-19 pandemic specifically means for health technology assessment (HTA) given the extreme measures that governments have taken to ‘flatten the curve’ and treat the affected. COVID-19 will change life as we know it, but as we adapt so will our approach and it is likely that HTA will similarly adapt to this shock.