Health technology assessment as a template for assessments in laboratory animal science with a focus on phenotyping protocols

This study introduces Health Technology Assessment (HTA) — a systematic, evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to assessing human health technologies, aimed at supporting decision-making in health policy and clinical practice — into laboratory animal science. A conceptual presentation is provided on how the assessment concept of HTA can be adapted to procedures in laboratory animal science (LAS), using phenotyping of mutant mice as an example of how decision-making in this particular setting can be supported. Since a full HTA can be a comprehensive task, a limited version, the Mini-HTA, is introduced, and a proposal for an adapted Mini-HTA form of assessment of phenotyping protocols is presented. It is the conclusion of this study that the principles of HTA could improve the decision-making process, resulting in increased validity of scientific results and animal welfare.