While the medical technology industry has grown rapidly, health technology assessment (HTA) for medical devices remains less mature compared to pharmaceuticals. Given the unique characteristics of medical technologies, real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) offer significant potential to strengthen payer decision-making. Yet, their adoption remains limited.This white paper examines RWE utilisation across Australia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, revealing four key barriers: limited availability, inconsistent quality, restricted access to data, and lack of clear or transparent evaluation frameworks.
Drawing lessons from three UK NICE case studies, the paper demonstrates how RWE can enable more timely and informed HTA decisions when evidence generation aligns with outcomes valued by payers.To advance RWE integration in payer decision-making across APAC, the paper recommends three key actions:
- Develop transparent RWE evaluation guidelines within HTA frameworks.
- Encourage pre-submission consultations to align study designs with payer needs.
- Reduce legal and financial barriers to private-sector access to local health data.
Together, these steps can accelerate evidence-based decisions, improving access to innovative medical technologies across the region.
