Latest revision as of 14:34, 27 January 2026

About the i‑HTS Glossary for the Health Technology Lifecycle

The i‑HTS Glossary is a collaborative, curated resource that explains terms and concepts used along the entire lifecycle of health technologies – from early awareness and horizon scanning to assessment, implementation, re‑assessment and disinvestment.

It is developed within the international HealthTechScan (i‑HTS) network, which grew out of the EuroScan international network, and supports a shared vocabulary for Early Awareness and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) worldwide.

Who is behind this glossary?

The glossary is hosted and maintained by the international HealthTechScan (i‑HTS) network, the global brand for the EuroScan international scientific association and its services.

i‑HTS brings together organisations and experts involved in:

Horizon scanning and early awareness & alert (EAA) systems
Health Technology Assessment (HTA)
Disinvestment and obsolete technologies
Policy making, health system management and health services research[web:135][web:156][web:157]

Members and partners contribute terms, definitions and use cases to ensure that the glossary reflects current practice and scientific standards in Early Awareness and HTA.

Purpose of the glossary

The main purposes of the glossary are:

To provide clear, concise definitions of key terms in the

 health technology lifecycle, with references to recognised
 sources (guidelines, scientific publications, policy documents).[web:142][web:153]

To harmonise wording and meaning across scientific communities,

 HTA agencies, decision makers and educators.

To support communication and capacity building in horizon

 scanning, early awareness, assessment and disinvestment activities.[web:135][web:155]

To serve as a reference point for methodological work on Early

 HTA and related concepts (early dialogue, early advice, etc.).[web:153][web:155]

The glossary is openly accessible so that researchers, policymakers, clinicians, students and the interested public can benefit from a shared language.

What is covered?

The glossary currently includes (or aims to include) terms in areas such as:

**Health technologies** – including medicines, devices, diagnostics,

 procedures, programmes and organisational interventions.

**Lifecycle stages** – from identification of emerging technologies

 to routine use and possible disinvestment.

**Methods and processes** – horizon scanning, early awareness, health for all policies,

 reassessment, economic evaluation, stakeholder engagement and more.

**Policy and system terms** – reimbursement, coverage decisions,

 benefit packages, priority setting and related concepts.

New topics are added as the network’s work evolves.

How are terms created and maintained?

The glossary is a curated wiki based on the MediaWiki software. Terms are not freely editable by anonymous users but are maintained by registered contributors within the i‑HTS / EuroScan community.

Key features of the editorial process:

**Registered contributors** draft entries using a common structure

 (definition, context, related terms, references).

**Editors and working groups** review definitions, check references

 and ensure consistency with existing terminology and HTA standards.

**Version history** – all changes are tracked and can be reviewed

 via the page history and the Recent changes
 page.

**Discussion and refinement** – for complex or evolving concepts,

 the talk pages are used to document alternative views and
 reasoning.

For practical guidance on adding or editing terms, see: How to add terms to this glossary.

Who can contribute?

At present, the glossary is primarily edited by:

Members of the EuroScan / i‑HTS network
Collaborating HTA agencies and research groups
Invited experts working on Early Awareness and HTA/HTM terminology

If you would like to contribute:

Visit How to add terms to this glossary.
Contact the i‑HTS office at office@i-hts.org to request an

  editor account or to propose new terms and definitions.

Contributions are expected to be evidence‑based and referenced, drawing on recognised guidelines and peer‑reviewed literature wherever possible.

Use and citation

You are welcome to use the glossary for teaching, research and policy work. When referring to definitions from this glossary, please:

Link to the specific term page on glossary.i‑hts.org, and
Where appropriate, cite the original sources listed under

 “References” in the term entry.

The glossary aims to complement, not replace, existing HTA glossaries and international terminology resources. It focuses in particular on terms that are important for Early Awareness, horizon scanning and Re-Assessment.

Contact and further information

For questions about the glossary or the i‑HTS network:

Visit the i‑HTS website:

 the international HealthTechScan (i‑HTS) website

Learn more about the glossary:

 The glossary for the Health Technology Lifecycle

Email: office@i-hts.org (general enquiries, collaboration,

 account requests).

If you have suggestions to improve this “About” page, please use the associated talk page or contact the coordination team.