Professional Exchange Program 

Montréal and Ottowa, Canada – November 2016

INESSS
L’Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS), 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, nonprofit 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 keep 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:

COMMENTARIES
“Un intercambio de experiencia profesional es una instancia muy intensa y desafiante para generar nuevas relaciones, inspirar ideas, fortalecer lazos y nuevas estrategias, y recordar que no estamos solos en nuestro intento por dar mejor oportunidades de salud a la región. Eso fue lo que en lo personal ocurrió durante mi visita a INESSS de Montreal y a CADTH de Ottawa.” – Jorgelina Alvarez- Representante de RedArets- Argentina
“La visita técnica al INESSS y la CADTH ocurrió en un ambiente de gran apertura, comunicación, cordialidad y disposición de colaboración por lo que los asistentes pudimos conocer las mejores prácticas y experiencias internacionales en evaluación clínica, económica y social de tecnologías sanitarias (específicamente de medicamentos y de dispositivos médicos) así como de los procesos de transferencia del conocimiento y del involucramiento de pacientes, en la toma de decisiones.” – Esteban Hernández San Roman – México – CENETEC

To access the presentations from the event please click here