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ASSESSMENT1
ASSESSMENT1
At the height of the pandemic, a medical director of a certain local government unit in the
region requested for the purchase of an RT-PCR machine. If you were a member of the HTA
team of the DOH, describe the HTA in terms of :
1. technology-oriented assessment
Price is often one of the first and most important factors to consider when purchasing
a new machine. One reason for this is that it obviously has a direct and immediate impact
on your lab’s budget. Aside from that, there are few more hidden costs, such as
the running cost of the cycler, that are far less obvious as they are spread over the years.
So, we must consider not only the efficiency of the machine but the cost as well.
2. problem-oriented assessment
Although it is not ideal for an LGU to purchase one due to the machine's high price,
there are alternatives that can be used to continue providing high-quality healthcare. Other
viral RNA detection tests and antigen detection tests are alternatives to lab-based RT-
PCR. Many of the identified technologies might be better viewed as potential future
developments. A wide range of alternatives to RT-PCR is now commercially available for
the purposes of detecting current SARS-CoV-2 infection, including alternatives such as
rapid molecular-based tests as well as rapid antigen detection tests (RADTs).
3. project-oriented assessment
If I were a member of the HTA team, I would not advise buying the device due to the
following factors. First, we must determine whether the machine is actually necessary, and
if not then we can proceed in using the alternatives. Second we must know whether there
will be personnel to operate the machine or, do we have a machine management expert
in our local unit? Another important factor that must be taken into account is the budget or
financial standing of the local government (LGU) unit. Is there a budget allocated for this
machine to be taken into consideration? If none then we should not proceed to purchasing
the RT-PCR machine.