HTA/M-VAC

M-VAC provides a comprehensive stream of research, advisory and assessment services to underpin value-based health care policies, agendas, and reforms.

Melbourne Health Technology and Value Assessment Collaboration (M-VAC)

The Centre for Health Policy is the coordinating home to M-VAC, established in 2021 and contracted to conduct value-based assessments and evaluations of pharmaceuticals, health services and technologies, preventive and curative programs, and digital health applications.

The Centre for Health PolicyHealth Economics Unit, Cancer Health Services Research Unit and Evaluation and Implementation Science collaborate to focus on evidence to inform better policy and practice. Activities include:

  • Supporting decisions about the listing of new medical devices and pharmaceuticals for State Governments, Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC), Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC)
  • Post-market Review (e.g., MBS Review)
  • Prosthesis List Reform
  • HTA rapid reviews
  • Development-focused HTA: Early lifecycle advice, guidance, and value proposition development for early stage innovations, including technologies, services, system reforms, and digital health applications (e.g., via the Validitron)
  • National screening programs
  • Payment system reforms

M-VAC is a large and experienced evaluation collaborative supported by a strong and integrated Leadership Team: Professor Kim Dalziel who is Head of Health Economics Unit and Professor Adam Elshaug who is the Director of Centre for Health Policy. Dr Michelle Tew is the PBAC Group Leader and Associate Professor Chris Schilling is the MSAC Group Leader.

The Collaboration is supported by a Scientific Expert Panel comprising of clinical trial, epidemiology, biostatistics and research methodology experts from the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, vaccine and infectious disease modelling and evaluation, and clinical evaluation, health economics and economic modelling experts from the Methods and Implementation Support for Clinical and Health Research Hub (MISCH) and Centre for Health Policy. The team is also supported by Clinical Expert Panel Members.

The organisational structure of M-VAC is shown in the figure below, noting this configuration of experts relates to its support of PBAC assessments.

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