EuroScan International Network: a Non-Profit Scientific Association for Emerging, New, and Obsolete Health Technologies

Key Contextual Factors

• EuroScan is the leading global collaborative network that collects and shares information on emerging, new, and obsolete health technologies to support decision-making on their adoption, appropriate use, and need of re-assessment. EuroScan is also the main global forum for the sharing and development of methods for early identification and pre-assessment of emerging, new, and obsolete health technologies. EuroScan operates with high levels of transparency and professionalism, and in partnership with researchers, research centers, governmental bodies, and international organizations to produce high quality information and effectively support existing or newly established early awareness and alert systems.

Key Components/Steps

• Established in 1997 as a working group of public agencies.
• In 1999 the working group became the EuroScan International Network.
• The network acquired legal status in 2017, becoming EuroScan International Network e.V., a not-for-profit scientific association registered in Germany.
• Today it counts 20 members from all continents.

Main Impacts / Added Value

• EuroScan actions are based on strong values such as service-oriented work, capacity building, transparency, accountability, knowledge sharing, collaboration, and integrity.

Lessons Learned

• Services: tools and actions mainly developed following the members’ needs but also available for external partners (website, news feed, metasearch engine, database and repository).
• Internal affairs: initiatives to gather members’ interest around specific topics and new services (periodic scientific meetings, working groups, joint projects).
• External partnership: mutual acknowledgement and shared initiatives with the most relevant organisations and networks in the field.

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