Professional Exchange Program 

Montreal and Ottowa, Canada – November 2016

INESSS
L'Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESS), the National Institute of Excellence in Social Services and Health in English, is an independent organization reporting to the Minister of Health and Social Services of Québec. INESSS mission is to promote clinical excellence and efficient use of resources. It does so by issuing recommendations for adoption, its use or the coverage of the public system, and develops clinical practice guidelines to ensure optimal use.
CADTH
The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) is an independent, non-profit organization responsible for providing health care decision makers with objective evidence to help make informed decisions about the optimal use of health technologies.
REDETSA EXCHANGE
In November 2016, the technical exchange of representatives of RedETSA member institutions at INESSS, Montreal and CADTH, Ottowa, was successfully completed. Thirteen professionals from 7 countries of the Region (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay) and PAHO participated in the visit. The objective was to learn about the experience of INESSS and CADTH in the process of making coverage decisions in Quebec and Canada, respectively, and to know in detail how the different programs of both institutions are carried out. The professionals spent two and a half days at the INESSS headquarters in Montreal, where conferences and workshops were held with the institution's experts. At the end of the third day they went to Ottawa, where they participated in a day of presentations and round tables with experts from CADTH. Important information was shared and methodological documents were provided for further study. Participants will stay in touch with professionals from INESSS and CADTH to further strengthen the link between institutions.
The professionals who participated in the meeting are detailed in the following table:

COMMENTS
“An exchange of professional experience is a very intense and challenging opportunity to generate new relationships, inspire ideas, strengthen ties and new strategies, and remember that we are not alone in our attempt to provide better health opportunities for the region. That is what happened personally during my visit to INESSS in Montreal and CADTH in Ottawa.” – Jorgelina Alvarez- Representative of RedArets- Argentina
“The technical visit to INESSS and CADTH took place in an atmosphere of great openness, communication, cordiality and willingness to collaborate, so that attendees were able to learn about the best international practices and experiences in clinical, economic and social evaluation of health technologies (specifically of medicines and medical devices) as well as the processes of knowledge transfer and patient involvement in decision-making.” – Esteban Hernandez San Roman – Mexico – CENETEC

To access the presentations from the event please click here