Glossary

Reasoning or knowledge derived from observed evidence after the fact rather than from prior assumption.

Specified or reasoned in advance of examining the data, on the basis of existing theory or knowledge.

The arithmetic difference in the rate of an outcome between an intervention and its comparator.

The AAC is the national umbrella partnership, hosted by NHS England, that brings together the NHS, industry, regulators, patients and government to accelerate the identification and adoption of promising innovations, including medical technologies.

Predefined, measurable conditions a product or deliverable must satisfy to be judged acceptable by the customer or evaluator.

The obligation of an individual or organisation to answer for its decisions, actions and use of resources.

A structured set of responsibilities, standards and reporting lines defining how an organisation is held to account.

A payment approach in which providers are paid according to the volume and type of activity delivered.

An NHS provider organisation delivering hospital-based secondary care such as emergency, surgical and inpatient services.

The sequence of steps and decisions through which a technology moves from awareness to routine use in a health system.

Any untoward medical occurrence associated with the use of a device or intervention, whether or not causally related.

A standing or ad hoc group of experts convened to provide independent advice to a decision-making body.

A defined, step-by-step procedure or set of rules for solving a problem or making a decision.

API is the principal payment mechanism within the NHS Payment Scheme, combining a fixed element with a variable (activity-based) element to reimburse providers for most secondary care.

A provider of NHS-funded services from outside the traditional NHS trust sector, such as an independent-sector or third-sector organisation.

Care provided to patients who are not admitted to a hospital bed, including day-case and outpatient management.

A scheduled yearly assessment of performance, evidence or a patient's condition against defined objectives.

The ability of microorganisms to withstand antimicrobial agents, rendering standard treatments ineffective.

Research directed at practical health problems with the explicit aim of improving care, services or outcomes.

A structured method setting out the criteria and process by which something is evaluated.

Qualitative group research in which participants contribute online at different times rather than in a live session.

The iterative process of measuring practice against standards, implementing change, and re-measuring to confirm improvement.

Software that automatically generates recommendations or actions to assist clinical or operational decisions.

The primary analysis of an economic model using the most plausible inputs and assumptions.

The cost of current practice against which the cost of a new technology or pathway is compared.

The underlying probability of an outcome in a population before any intervention is applied.

A statistical approach that updates prior belief with observed data to produce posterior probabilities.

Comparing performance, cost or outcomes against peers or standards to identify variation and improvement opportunities.

A defined, evidence-based care pathway representing the recommended standard of management for a condition.

A Best Practice Tariff is a nationally set price designed to incentivise care that is both clinically effective and cost effective, paying providers differentially when defined best-practice criteria are met.

A procurement approach that selects on overall value rather than lowest price alone.

A systematic error that consistently distorts results away from the truth.

A treatment derived from or targeting biological processes, such as antibodies, cell or gene therapies.

A measurable biological characteristic used as an indicator of a normal or disease process or response to treatment.

The concealment of treatment allocation from participants, clinicians or assessors to reduce bias.

A resampling method that estimates uncertainty by repeatedly sampling, with replacement, from the observed data.

An analysis identifying the point at which the benefits or savings of an investment equal its costs.

The budget holder is the individual or organisation with authority over the funds that would pay for a technology, and is therefore a critical target for value and business-case messaging.

An assessment of affordability estimating the net financial effect of adopting a technology over time.

The total impact of a health problem, measured by mortality, morbidity, cost and other consequences.

A structured review quantifying the clinical, humanistic and economic impact of a condition.

An NHS business case is a structured document that justifies investment in a technology or service change by setting out the clinical, operational and financial rationale for a decision maker.

The tools and processes for collecting, analysing and presenting data to support decision-making.

The defined logic and conditions that govern how a process, system or dataset operates.

CE marking indicates conformity with applicable European Union regulations and, under transitional arrangements, remains accepted for placing many medical devices on the Great Britain market.

A managed access fund in England providing time-limited support for promising cancer medicines pending further evidence.

The process of ensuring sufficient workforce, facilities and resources are available to meet expected demand.

A small, evidence-based set of interventions that, delivered together, improve outcomes for a condition.

The deliberate organisation of a patient's care activities across providers and settings.

A care pathway is the sequence of assessments, decisions and interventions a patient experiences for a given condition, and is the context into which any new technology must demonstrably fit.

The independent regulator of health and adult social care quality and safety in England.

The set of criteria used to determine whether an individual has the condition of interest.

The active identification of individuals likely to have a condition, often among those already in contact with services.

The range and complexity of conditions and patients treated by a service or provider.

A statistical method that accounts for differences in patient characteristics when comparing outcomes or costs.

An observational design comparing people with a condition against those without to identify associated exposures.

A descriptive report of outcomes in a group of patients receiving an intervention, without a comparator.

Minimally invasive treatment delivered through a catheter to a target site within the body.

The purchasing of goods and services through a single, centralised function rather than by individual units.

The structured approach to preparing, supporting and embedding organisational change.

A measure of how frequently a publication or author is cited by other works.

A quality improvement process that reviews care against explicit standards and drives change.

A clinical champion is a respected clinician who actively advocates for the adoption of a technology within their organisation and pathway.

The translation of clinical information into standardised codes for records, analysis and reimbursement.

The commissioning of clinical services, historically led by clinicians, to meet population health needs.

CCGs were the NHS bodies responsible for planning and commissioning most local health services in England until they were abolished and replaced by Integrated Care Boards in July 2022.

The existing treatment or pathway against which a new technology's clinical performance is assessed.

Agreement among clinical experts on best practice where definitive evidence is limited.

Tools that provide clinicians with knowledge or patient-specific information to enhance decisions.

The extent to which an intervention produces beneficial outcomes in routine clinical practice.

A demonstrated absence of clinically meaningful difference in effect between two interventions.

The framework through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving quality and safeguarding care.

A collaborative grouping of clinicians and organisations focused on a specialty or condition across a geography.

A measurable change in health status resulting from care, such as survival, symptoms or function.

A measurement of how a patient feels, functions or survives, used to evaluate an intervention's effect.

The clinical sequence of assessment, decision and treatment steps for a condition, often used synonymously with care pathway.

The efficiency with which clinical resources are converted into patient care and outcomes.

A detailed, standardised plan specifying how a particular aspect of care should be delivered.

The probability and severity of harm to patients arising from clinical care or technology use.

The assurance that a technology or service does not cause unacceptable harm to patients.

The restructuring of how a clinical service is organised and delivered to improve outcomes or efficiency.

A prospective study evaluating the effects of an intervention in human participants under defined conditions.

A trial in which groups, rather than individuals, are randomly allocated to intervention or control.

An international network producing rigorous systematic reviews to inform healthcare decisions.

The agreed rules governing how clinical information is translated into standardised codes.

A qualitative method testing whether respondents interpret a questionnaire's items as intended.

A technique that explores respondents' thought processes as they answer questionnaire items.

Economic models that follow a hypothetical group of patients through health states over time.

An observational design following defined groups over time to compare outcomes by exposure.

A structured agreement setting the terms under which goods or services can be purchased.

Commissioning is the NHS process of assessing population needs, planning services to meet them, securing those services, and monitoring their delivery.

A standardised structure that organises data consistently across sources to enable analysis and interoperability.

A dedicated facility providing diagnostic tests in community settings, away from acute hospitals.

Evidence comparing the benefits and harms of alternative interventions in real-world conditions.

Adherence to laws, regulations, standards or agreed protocols.

A trial outcome that combines several individual endpoints into a single measure.

Qualitative research identifying the concepts that matter to patients about a condition or treatment.

A recommendation or authorisation granted subject to conditions, such as further evidence generation.

A range that, with a stated probability, is expected to contain the true value of a parameter.

A factor associated with both the intervention and the outcome that can distort an observed effect.

A survey method quantifying how people trade off the different attributes of a product or service.

Non-invasive or less-intensive treatment approaches that avoid or defer surgery or aggressive intervention.

The extent to which a measure behaves in line with theoretical expectations of the concept it targets.

A continuous period during which a patient is under the care of one consultant.

The degree to which a measure's items comprehensively and relevantly cover the concept being assessed.

An ongoing, systematic approach to improving processes and outcomes through iterative change.

A formal change to the terms of an existing contract between commissioner and provider.

A study that compares an intervention group against a control group to isolate the effect of the intervention.

An agreed, standardised set of outcomes to be measured and reported in studies of a specific condition.

The value of resources consumed in providing or receiving care.

A factor that significantly influences the cost of a service, pathway or condition.

A situation in which the additional cost of a technology is offset by savings it generates.

An estimate of the total economic burden a condition imposes on individuals and society.

An evaluation expressing both the costs and consequences of options in monetary terms.

A comparison of the costs of alternatives without formally weighing differences in outcome.

Cost-consequence analysis presents the costs and a disaggregated list of outcomes of alternative options side by side, without aggregating them into a single ratio.

A graph showing the probability that an intervention is cost-effective across a range of willingness-to-pay thresholds.

A curve identifying, at each threshold, the option most likely to be the optimal choice.

An evaluation relating the additional cost of an intervention to its additional effect in natural units.

The set of options that are not dominated, representing the efficient choices across cost and effect.

A diagram plotting the incremental cost and incremental effect of an intervention relative to its comparator.

The maximum cost per unit of health gain a decision maker is willing to accept.

An evaluation identifying the least costly option among alternatives judged to be equivalent in effect.

A form of cost-effectiveness analysis in which benefit is measured in quality-adjusted life years.

Conditional funding of a technology while additional evidence is collected to resolve uncertainty.

A Bayesian range within which a parameter lies with a stated posterior probability.

The extent to which a measure agrees with an established reference or gold standard.

The systematic evaluation of a study's validity, results and relevance.

An observational study measuring exposures and outcomes at a single point in time.

The systematic capture of relevant information from studies into a structured format for review.

The framework of policies and controls ensuring data is managed lawfully, securely and ethically.

The joining of records from different datasets that relate to the same individual or entity.

The degree to which data are accurate, complete, timely and fit for their intended use.

A structured search of bibliographic databases to identify relevant studies.

A mathematical framework that synthesises evidence to estimate the costs and outcomes of alternative options.

The value at which a decision changes, such as the cost-effectiveness threshold used in HTA.

A model that maps the possible consequences of decisions as branching pathways with associated probabilities and values.

A structured process for reaching expert consensus through iterative, anonymous rounds of feedback.

Strategies to influence or manage the level and flow of demand for health services.

DHSC is the UK government department responsible for health and social care policy, funding and strategy in England, and the parent department of NHS England, the MHRA and NICE.

An examination of how model results change when inputs are varied one or more at a time to fixed values.

Medical devices are assigned to risk classes (I, IIa, IIb, III for general devices) that determine the regulatory route and the level of scrutiny required for market entry.

The ongoing monitoring of a device's safety and performance once in use.

How well a diagnostic test correctly identifies those with and without the target condition.

A defined decision rule guiding the steps and interpretation involved in reaching a diagnosis.

The sequence of steps from clinical presentation to confirmed diagnosis.

A systematic review synthesising evidence on how well a test identifies a condition.

The proportion of tests that produce a clinically useful or definitive result.

A former NICE programme that evaluated the clinical and cost-effectiveness of diagnostic technologies.

Diffusion of innovation describes how, why and at what rate new technologies spread through a population of potential adopters.

A baseline set of criteria digital health technologies must meet for use in health and care.

Costs directly attributable to delivering a treatment or managing a condition.

A measure of disease burden combining years of life lost and years lived with disability.

The annual rate used to convert future costs and benefits into present-day values.

A survey method eliciting preferences by asking respondents to choose between described alternatives.

A flexible modelling approach representing individuals experiencing events over time.

The overall impact of a disease on health, quality of life and resources.

A representation of the natural course of a condition used to project long-term outcomes.

A structured collection of data on patients with a particular condition, collected over time.

The planned withdrawal of funding from interventions that offer poor value.

Procurement conducted locally by individual organisations rather than through a central function.

An extension of cost-effectiveness analysis that examines how costs and health gains are distributed across groups.

Mathematical descriptions of how a variable's values, and their probabilities, are spread.

The loss of health-related quality of life associated with a condition, event or treatment.

A situation in which one option is both more effective and less costly than another.

In economic evaluation, an option that is both more effective and less costly than its comparator.

Costs occurring later in the pathway as a consequence of an intervention or decision.

Part IX of the Drug Tariff lists the appliances and reagents, including many community-used devices such as dressings, stoma and continence products, that can be prescribed and reimbursed in NHS primary care.

A widely used generic questionnaire measuring health-related quality of life for use in economic evaluation.

European legislation introducing coordinated health technology assessment across member states.

Economic analysis undertaken early in development to guide strategy and evidence generation.

A NICE route giving a rapid, conditional view on promising technologies addressing unmet need.

The comparative analysis of the costs and consequences of alternative courses of action.

The use of mathematical structures to synthesise evidence and estimate costs and outcomes.

The maximum price at which a technology remains cost-effective at a given threshold.

A factor that changes the magnitude of an intervention's effect across subgroups.

A standardised measure of the magnitude of a difference or relationship.

How well an intervention works under routine, real-world conditions.

How well an intervention works under ideal, controlled conditions.

Achieving the greatest output or benefit from a given set of resources.

A reduction in resource use achieved without reducing the quality or volume of care.

Elective recovery refers to the national programme and associated funding aimed at reducing the backlog of planned (non-emergency) NHS care that accumulated, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The generation, transmission and management of prescriptions through digital systems.

The defined characteristics that determine whether a patient qualifies for an intervention or study.

The sequence of care for patients presenting with urgent or emergency conditions.

A defined outcome measured in a study to assess the effect of an intervention.

The effect of a technology, service or pathway on the natural environment.

Fairness in the distribution of health and access to care across a population.

The extent to which people with equal need have equal opportunity to access care.

A defined route for increasing the intensity of care or intervention when a patient deteriorates.

A structured approach specifying how an intervention or service will be assessed.

The body of research and data supporting the use of an intervention.

A deficiency in the available evidence needed to support a decision.

An evidence generation plan sets out the studies and data collection needed to close identified evidence gaps, often within a conditional or early-use NICE recommendation.

A ranking of study designs according to their susceptibility to bias.

A NICE framework describing the evidence expected for digital health technologies according to their function and risk.

The conscientious use of current best evidence, alongside expertise and patient values, to guide care.

Hospital stay beyond the expected duration for a given condition or procedure.

The value of eliminating uncertainty in a specific subset of model parameters.

The maximum value of eliminating all uncertainty in a decision.

The expected value of conducting a specific study of a given design and size.

An EAG is an independent academic group commissioned by NICE to review evidence and, increasingly, to author assessment reports for technology evaluations.

Test results that wrongly indicate absence or presence of a condition, respectively.

An accelerated route for producing guidance or recommendations on selected technologies.

An early appraisal of whether a study, technology or pathway change is practical to pursue.

A study that observes participants over time after an intervention to assess longer-term outcomes.

The use of data and models to estimate future demand, activity or costs.

A formulary is an approved list of medicines or devices that clinicians in an organisation or area are recommended or permitted to use, governing local access.

The mechanism through which money flows to pay for a technology or service.

A comparison of current performance or provision against a desired standard to identify shortfalls.

The extent to which study findings apply to other populations, settings or conditions.

GIRFT is a national NHS programme that uses clinically led review of variation in practice and outcomes to improve care quality and efficiency across specialties.

An internationally recognised system of standardised terms and codes used to identify medical devices.

A go-to-market strategy defines how a company will launch and commercialise a technology within a target health system, integrating regulatory, reimbursement, evidence, pricing and commercial activities.

The best available reference method against which others are compared.

The structure of rules, roles and processes that direct and control an organisation or activity.

An adjustment in state-transition models accounting for events occurring within, not only at, cycle boundaries.

The manual scanning of journals or references to find studies that database searches may miss.

The study of how resources are allocated to and within health and healthcare.

The discipline generating economic and outcomes evidence to support healthcare decisions.

The principle that everyone should have a fair opportunity to attain their full health potential.

Systematic, avoidable differences in health status or access between population groups.

Health Innovation Networks (formerly Academic Health Science Networks) are the 15 regional bodies licensed by NHS England to support the spread and adoption of innovation across the NHS.

The changes in health status that result from care or interventions.

The body that protects and promotes the interests of participants in health and social care research in England.

Any intervention used to promote health, prevent, diagnose or treat disease, or improve care.

The systematic evaluation of a technology's properties, effects and value to inform decisions.

The aspects of quality of life specifically affected by health and healthcare.

HealthTech Guidance is the NICE output, introduced in 2025, that evaluates non-medicine technologies (devices, diagnostics and digital/AI tools) and replaces the former Medical Technologies Guidance and Diagnostics Guidance.

The NICE HealthTech programme is the consolidated evaluation route, introduced in 2025, that merges the former Medical Technologies Evaluation, Diagnostics Assessment and Interventional Procedures programmes.

The NHS unit that groups clinically similar activity with comparable resource use for costing and payment.

High cost devices are items excluded from standard Healthcare Resource Group prices and reimbursed separately, typically at acquisition cost, so their cost does not distort average tariffs.

A NICE programme evaluating treatments for very rare conditions.

The systematic identification of emerging technologies and developments likely to affect health services.

A period of hospital-based care recorded as a unit of activity.

The national dataset of admitted patient care, outpatient and emergency activity in NHS England hospitals.

The application of knowledge about human capabilities to the design of safe, usable technologies and systems.

A statistical procedure for judging whether data are consistent with a stated null hypothesis.

ICD-10 is the international classification of diseases used in the NHS to code diagnoses, and it underpins activity recording, Healthcare Resource Group derivation and reimbursement.

A structured appraisal of the likely effects of a technology, policy or change.

The study of methods to promote the uptake of evidence-based practices into routine care.

An in vitro diagnostic is a test performed on samples taken from the body (such as blood or tissue) to provide diagnostic, screening or monitoring information, and is regulated under a distinct framework.

The rate at which new cases of a condition arise in a population over a period.

An unexpected result discovered during testing that is unrelated to the original clinical question.

The comparison of the additional costs and effects of one option relative to another.

The additional cost per additional unit of benefit of one option versus another.

A non-NHS organisation delivering NHS-funded care under contract.

A measurable variable used to monitor performance, quality or health status.

Costs arising outside direct care delivery, such as productivity losses to patients or carers.

An estimate of the relative effect of interventions not compared directly in a single study.

The process by which an organisation or system takes up and begins using an innovation.

The extension of an adopted innovation from initial sites to wider use across the system.

An England fund providing early, managed access to promising non-cancer medicines amid clinical uncertainty.

An ICB is the statutory NHS body responsible for planning and funding most health services for a defined geographical population, having replaced Clinical Commissioning Groups in July 2022.

A structured, multidisciplinary plan detailing the expected route and timing of care for a condition.

An ICS is a partnership of NHS organisations, local authorities and other partners covering a geographical area, responsible for planning and improving health and care for its population.

An analysis principle that keeps participants in their originally assigned groups regardless of adherence.

The degree to which items in a scale measure the same underlying concept.

The ability of systems and devices to exchange, interpret and use information consistently.

Any action taken to improve health, such as a treatment, device, procedure or programme.

The group in a controlled study that receives the intervention being tested.

A procedure that enters the body to diagnose or treat, through incision, puncture, cavity entry or energy.

Interventional Procedures Guidance is the NICE output that assesses whether a procedure is safe and works well enough for use in the NHS, focusing on efficacy and safety rather than cost.

Statistical models relating responses to individual items to an underlying latent trait.

A coordinated European assessment of a technology's relative clinical effectiveness.

Procurement undertaken collaboratively by multiple organisations to increase value and consistency.

Coordinated European scientific advice to developers on evidence generation.

Key account management is the commercial discipline of building long-term, strategic relationships with the most important customer organisations, coordinating engagement across their many stakeholders.

A key opinion leader is an influential clinical or scientific expert whose credibility and advocacy can shape peer opinion, guidelines and adoption of a technology.

A quantifiable measure used to track progress against a critical objective.

An evaluation of established technologies within a category to inform ongoing use and value.

Apparent improvement in survival caused only by earlier detection, not by longer life.

The duration a patient remains in hospital for an episode of care.

An assessment of all costs associated with a technology across its entire useful life.

A synthesis of published work on a topic to summarise current knowledge.

An assessment of a technology's performance and impact conducted within a specific local setting.

A locally negotiated price or payment arrangement between a commissioner and provider.

A study that follows the same subjects over an extended period to observe changes over time.

A branch of artificial intelligence in which systems learn patterns from data to make predictions or decisions.

A serious bleeding event, typically defined by standardised criteria in clinical studies.

An arrangement allowing conditional, monitored use of a technology while further evidence is collected.

A formal arrangement providing time-limited, conditional funding while evidence is collected.

A managed service contract is a procurement model, common in diagnostics, in which a supplier provides equipment, consumables, maintenance and sometimes staffing under a single ongoing agreement, often priced per test.

The activities enabling a technology to reach and be routinely used by the patients who need it.

A market access strategy is the coordinated, product-specific plan that sets out how a technology will achieve regulatory approval, reimbursement, and sustained adoption within a target health system.

The regulatory approval permitting a medicine to be placed on the market.

A state-transition model in which patients move between defined health states over successive cycles.

A method that adjusts for differences between trial populations when comparing interventions indirectly.

The MedTech Funding Mandate requires the NHS in England to fund a small, defined set of NICE-approved, cost-saving medical technologies, supporting their routine adoption.

A product used for a medical purpose that does not achieve its primary action by pharmacological means.

Professional bodies that set standards, provide training and represent clinical specialties.

MTEP was NICE's dedicated programme for evaluating medical devices and diagnostics; its process guide has been superseded by the HealthTech programme manual, though the term remains in use.

Medical Technologies Guidance was the NICE guidance produced under MTEP for individual devices and diagnostics; it has been replaced by HealthTech Guidance for new evaluations.

The MHRA is the UK regulator responsible for ensuring medical devices, medicines and diagnostics meet applicable standards of safety, quality and performance.

A statistical technique combining results from multiple studies into a single pooled estimate.

The rigour with which a study is designed, conducted and analysed.

Modelling that simulates outcomes for individuals one at a time, capturing their unique characteristics and histories.

The smallest change in an outcome that patients or clinicians would regard as meaningful.

A defined, standardised set of data items to be collected consistently for a purpose.

Absent data points that can bias analysis if not handled appropriately.

A synthesis comparing multiple interventions simultaneously using direct and indirect evidence.

An NHS digital tool providing benchmarked data to help trusts improve productivity and value.

A technique that repeatedly samples from input distributions to characterise uncertainty in results.

The frequency of death in a defined population over a specified period.

A structured method for evaluating options against multiple weighted criteria.

An analysis varying several model inputs simultaneously to test the robustness of results.

A group of professionals from different disciplines who jointly plan and coordinate patient care.

A study conducted across several sites using a common protocol.

A NICE appraisal evaluating more than one technology, or several indications, together.

NHS England is the national body that has led the oversight, funding and commissioning of the NHS in England, though legislation introduced in 2026 provides for its planned abolition and the transfer of functions.

An NHS foundation trust is a provider organisation with greater operational and financial autonomy than a standard NHS trust, though still accountable within the NHS system.

The NHS Innovation Service is a national online platform through which innovators can register a technology and be guided to relevant support, assessment and adoption routes.

The NHS Payment Scheme is the framework of rules and prices governing how NHS commissioners pay providers, having replaced the National Tariff Payment System in April 2023.

NHS Supply Chain is the national procurement organisation that manages the sourcing and delivery of a large proportion of consumables, devices and equipment to NHS trusts in England.

The body providing national guidance and advice to improve health and social care, including technology evaluation.

The typical course of a disease over time in the absence of treatment.

The probability that a negative test result correctly indicates absence of the condition.

A summary measure combining the value of health outcomes and costs on a single scale.

A summary measure expressing value in health units after accounting for opportunity cost.

A summary measure expressing value in monetary units after valuing health gains at a threshold.

A synthesis comparing multiple interventions across a connected network of studies.

A study designed to show an intervention is not worse than a comparator by more than a defined margin.

Statistical methods that do not assume a particular underlying distribution for the data.

A symmetric, bell-shaped probability distribution widely used in statistical analysis.

A Notified Body (EU) or UK Approved Body (GB) is an independent organisation designated to assess whether higher-risk medical devices conform to regulatory requirements before they can be marked and marketed.

The number of patients who must be treated to prevent one additional adverse outcome.

OPCS-4 is the NHS classification used to code interventions and procedures, and it is a key driver of Healthcare Resource Group derivation and secondary care reimbursement.

Objection handling is the structured anticipation of, and evidence-based response to, the concerns NHS stakeholders are likely to raise about adopting a technology.

A study in which exposures and outcomes are observed without the investigator assigning the intervention.

A measure of association comparing the odds of an outcome between two groups.

The value of the benefits forgone by using resources in one way rather than the next-best alternative.

A condition affecting a small proportion of the population, subject to particular incentives and challenges.

A defined instrument or metric used to capture a health outcome.

Research examining the end results of healthcare on patients and populations.

The sequence of non-admitted, clinic-based care a patient receives.

The probability of observing data as extreme as those seen if the null hypothesis were true.

A framework structuring a review question around population, intervention, comparator and outcome.

Statistical methods that assume the data follow a specified distribution.

An economic model deriving state occupancy directly from survival curves.

The systematic depiction of the steps, decisions and resources in a care pathway.

Pathway redesign is the deliberate restructuring of a clinical pathway to improve outcomes, efficiency or patient experience, often as the vehicle through which a technology delivers value.

A confidential pricing or payment arrangement improving a technology's cost-effectiveness to secure reimbursement.

A defined group of patients sharing a common characteristic, followed or analysed together.

The process of identifying which patients are most appropriate for a given intervention.

Dividing patients into subgroups based on characteristics that influence risk or response.

A model simulating outcomes individually for each patient to capture heterogeneity and history.

A standardised measure capturing patients' experience of receiving care.

A health outcome reported directly by the patient without clinician interpretation.

A validated instrument for capturing patient-reported outcomes in a standardised way.

The organisation responsible for funding healthcare.

The evaluation of work by others with relevant expertise to assure quality and credibility.

A metric used to assess how well a service or system is performing against expectations.

The viewpoint that determines which costs and outcomes an evaluation includes.

An approach focused on improving health outcomes across a whole population and reducing inequalities.

The probability that a positive test result correctly indicates presence of the condition.

The ongoing collection of clinical data on a device after market entry to confirm its safety and performance.

Post-market surveillance is the manufacturer's ongoing, systematic monitoring of a device's safety and performance once it is in use, and is a strengthened UK regulatory requirement.

The updated probability distributions for parameters after combining prior belief with data.

The probability that a study will detect a true effect of a specified size.

An evidence review balancing rigour against the practical constraints of a decision timeline.

Trials designed to evaluate interventions under conditions close to routine practice.

The degree to which repeated measurements or estimates cluster closely together.

The use of data and statistical or machine-learning models to forecast future events.

The probability that a test result correctly reflects the presence or absence of a condition.

Instruments that convert health states into values reflecting how they are preferred.

A reporting standard for systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

The proportion of a population that has a condition at a given time.

The main outcome a study is designed and powered to assess.

The probability distributions expressing belief about parameters before observing the data.

Analysis that samples across input distributions to quantify overall uncertainty in results.

The process by which organisations source and purchase goods and services.

A pre-established agreement setting out approved suppliers and terms for purchasing.

An increase in output achieved for a given level of input.

An approach that analyses expenditure by disease area or programme to inform resource allocation.

A NICE approach making the depth of appraisal proportionate to the decision's complexity and risk.

A study that follows participants forward in time from enrolment to observe outcomes.

A partnership of NHS providers working together to plan and deliver services at scale.

The measurement characteristics, such as validity and reliability, of an instrument.

The distortion of the evidence base caused by selective publication of studies.

A synthesis of qualitative research exploring experiences, meanings and context.

The systematic activities that ensure a product or service meets defined quality requirements.

A systematic approach to making measurable improvements in care quality.

A concise set of statements describing high-priority markers of high-quality care.

A specific, measurable component of a quality standard describing an aspect of good care.

An individual's overall sense of wellbeing across the domains of life that matter to them.

A measure combining length and quality of life into a single unit of health.

Research that collects and analyses numerical data to test hypotheses or quantify effects.

An experimental study allocating participants to intervention or comparator by chance.

An accelerated evidence review that streamlines systematic methods to meet a tight timeline.

A direct method of valuing health states by placing them on a marked scale.

Real-world data are data relating to patient health or care delivery collected outside conventional randomised controlled trials, from sources such as electronic health records, registries and audits.

Real-world evidence is the clinical or economic evidence about a technology's use, benefits or risks derived from analysing real-world data.

A curve depicting a test's trade-off between sensitivity and specificity across thresholds.

A specified set of methods that analyses must follow for comparability in an HTA process.

Processes to ensure referrals are appropriate and directed to the right service.

Research using data systematically collected in a disease or device registry.

The mechanism and act of paying providers or suppliers for healthcare goods and services.

How well an intervention works compared with one or more alternatives in practice.

The ratio of the probability of an outcome between two groups.

The proportional reduction in an outcome's rate achieved by an intervention.

The consistency of a measure in producing the same results under consistent conditions.

A meta-analytic method examining how a measure's reliability varies across studies and populations.

The consistency of measurements when repeated under the same conditions.

Distortion arising from selective disclosure of results or outcomes.

The consistency of results when reproduced under changed conditions, such as different operators or sites.

The systematic bringing together of findings from multiple studies.

The distribution of finite resources among competing needs and priorities.

The quantities of healthcare inputs consumed in delivering care.

The extent and pattern of use of healthcare resources.

A measure's ability to detect genuine change over time.

The financial return generated by an investment relative to its cost.

An overview synthesising the findings of multiple existing systematic reviews.

Statistical correction for differences in patient risk when comparing outcomes or costs.

The estimation of an individual's probability of a future clinical event.

The ratio of the risk of an outcome between two groups; synonymous with relative risk.

The classification of individuals or populations by their level of risk to guide care.

The likelihood that a study's design or conduct has distorted its results.

The degree to which results or conclusions hold under varying assumptions or conditions.

An evaluation of a technology's value once it is in established, routine NHS use.

A proposed structured route giving medical technologies clearer, criteria-driven access to reimbursement.

The comprehensive clinical terminology used as the NHS standard for recording clinical information in electronic records.

A pre-defined outcome used to assess the harms associated with an intervention.

The number of participants or observations included in a study.

An examination of how results change under alternative sets of assumptions or circumstances.

Formal guidance from regulators or HTA bodies on the evidence needed to support a technology.

An organised programme offering testing to an asymptomatic population to detect disease early.

A pre-tested combination of search terms designed to retrieve a particular type of study.

The documented plan of sources, terms and criteria used to identify evidence.

An additional outcome measured in a study beyond the primary endpoint.

The national NHS repository of patient-level activity data used for purposes beyond direct care.

A test's ability to correctly identify those who have the condition.

The examination of how results change when assumptions or inputs are varied.

An assessment of a current service to judge how well it is achieving its objectives.

A management approach that analyses the costs and income of individual clinical services.

The restructuring of how a service is organised and delivered to improve value.

A collaborative process in which clinicians and patients make decisions together using best evidence.

An arrangement in which parties share the financial savings generated by improved care.

The identification of potential safety concerns from data on a technology in use.

The threshold probability for judging a result statistically significant.

A method predicting outcomes across trials by modelling the relationship between characteristics and outcome.

A NICE appraisal focused on a single technology for a single indication.

A study in which all participants receive the intervention, without a concurrent control group.

An evaluation weighing the full social costs and benefits of an option in monetary terms.

A framework valuing the broader social, environmental and economic value created relative to investment.

Software as a medical device is software intended to perform a medical purpose without being part of a hardware device, and is a major category within digital health market access.

Specialised commissioning covers services for patients with rare or complex conditions, historically commissioned nationally rather than locally, with distinct funding and evidence requirements.

A service for patients with rare or complex conditions, often commissioned nationally.

A test's ability to correctly identify those who do not have the condition.

Spread and scale refers to the deliberate process of taking a technology proven in one or a few sites and achieving its widespread, sustained adoption across the wider system.

The structured involvement of parties with an interest in a technology or decision.

Stakeholder mapping is the systematic identification and analysis of the individuals and organisations who influence or are affected by the adoption of a technology.

A choice-based method for valuing health states under uncertainty.

A documented, step-by-step instruction for consistently performing a defined task.

The current usual or accepted treatment or management for a condition.

The probability that a study will detect a true effect of a given size.

A finding unlikely to have arisen by chance under the null hypothesis.

Modelling that explicitly incorporates randomness and variability in its inputs and outputs.

An approach that targets treatment to defined patient subgroups most likely to benefit.

A formal method for capturing expert judgement as quantified estimates with uncertainty.

The examination of intervention effects within defined subsets of a study population.

Statistical methods for analysing the time until an event occurs.

The capacity of a change or benefit to be maintained over time, including environmental sustainability.

NHS programmes and structures aimed at making services sustainable and transforming care delivery.

A structured, reproducible review that identifies, appraises and synthesises all relevant evidence on a question.

A target product profile is a strategic planning document that defines, in advance, the characteristics and evidence a technology must achieve to meet the needs of its intended market.

A focused evidence review addressing a specific, narrowly defined question.

A nationally or locally set price paid for a defined unit of healthcare activity.

The uptake and integration of a new technology into routine use.

The systematic evaluation of a technology's properties, effects and implications.

The spread of a technology through a population of potential adopters over time.

The consistency of a measure's results when repeated on the same subjects over time.

An analysis identifying the value of a parameter at which a decision or conclusion changes.

The period over which costs and outcomes are considered in an evaluation.

A choice-based method valuing health states by trading length of life for quality.

A chart displaying the influence of individual parameters on a model's results.

The full cost of managing a patient or condition across the entire pathway.

Total cost of ownership captures the full cost of using a technology over its life, not just purchase price, including consumables, maintenance, training and associated pathway costs.

Temporary funding provided to support the adoption of a new technology or pathway change.

The sequence of treatment steps a patient follows for a condition.

The process of prioritising patients according to the urgency of their need.

A test result correctly identifying the absence of the condition.

A test result correctly identifying the presence of the condition.

An analysis varying two parameters together to examine their joint effect on results.

The errors of wrongly rejecting a true null hypothesis, or failing to reject a false one.

A UK Responsible Person is the UK-based entity that a non-UK device manufacturer must appoint to carry out specified regulatory obligations, including registering devices with the MHRA.

UKCA marking is the Great Britain conformity assessment marking for products including medical devices, introduced following the UK's exit from the European Union.

The systematic examination of how uncertainty in inputs affects the results of an analysis.

The cost of a single unit of a healthcare resource.

An analysis varying a single parameter at a time to test its effect on results.

A health problem for which no adequate solution currently exists.

Unwarranted variation is variation in clinical practice, access or outcomes that cannot be explained by differences in patient need or preference, and which signals opportunities for improvement.

The extent to which a technology is actually adopted and used by eligible patients or services.

An evaluation of how easily and safely intended users can operate a technology.

Testing by end users to confirm a system meets their needs before full deployment.

A number representing the preference for, or value of, a particular health state.

A study designed to confirm that a test, tool or model performs as intended.

The extent to which a measure or study accurately captures what it intends to.

A value dossier is a comprehensive, structured compilation of the evidence and arguments supporting a technology's value, used to inform HTA submissions, payer discussions and internal messaging.

An analysis quantifying the value of reducing uncertainty to inform research priorities.

A value proposition is a clear, evidence-based statement of the benefits a technology delivers to defined stakeholders relative to the relevant alternative, and why those benefits justify its adoption and price.

An approach organising care around the outcomes that matter to patients relative to cost.

Setting a technology's price in line with the value it delivers.

Value-based procurement is an approach to NHS purchasing that weighs the overall value a technology delivers, clinical, operational and economic, rather than selecting primarily on lowest purchase price.

The examination of differences between expected and actual performance or between plan and outcome.

A service providing hospital-level care to patients in their own homes, supported by technology.

The process of reviewing and confirming the accuracy of patients recorded on a waiting list.

The estimation of the total cost of all care along a complete patient pathway.

The overall effect of a technology or change across an entire health and care system.

The maximum amount a decision maker or individual is prepared to pay for a benefit.

The process of ensuring the right numbers and skills of staff are available to meet demand.

The United Nations agency responsible for international public health, standards and classifications.

A procedure performed under real-time X-ray imaging to guide instruments within the body.

An assessment of the useful output produced by a test, screening or case-finding activity.

A budgeting method in which every expenditure must be justified from a zero base each cycle.