The Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) is a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Singapore. The role of ACE is to provide independent evidence-based evaluations of health technologies (e.g. drugs, vaccines, medical technologies) to inform funding decisions and produces technology guidances on their appropriate use.
The Economic Modelling team (within MOCA division) in ACE performs technical appraisal of health technologies including economic modelling and budget impact analysis. The team also builds internal technical capabilities and robustness through methodology development and research, and builds external capabilities through knowledge transfer.
Key responsibilitiesTechnical assessment, data analysis and reportingConduct or appraise economic evaluation and budget impact analysis as part of health technology assessment (HTA) for drugs, vaccines and medical technologies to inform funding decision-making by the Drug Advisory Committee (DAC) and Medical Technology Advisory Committee (MTAC)Assist in the identification and prioritization of topics for technical assessments
Communication and engagementWork closely with stakeholders to understand data needs and expected timelinesEngage healthcare institutions or providers to gather inputs on the scope, inputs and outputs of the technology assessmentWork closely with cross functional teams to effectively communicate findings internally and to external stakeholders
Data gathering and managementUnderstand various datasets available and acquire health technology related data (not routinely available in MOH) from healthcare institutions or providers or other relevant partiesPrepare and participate in meetings such as clinician interviews and engagements
Training and developmentUndertake continuing personal and professional development, and keep up to date to scientific and methodological developments to meet changing demands of the job and to satisfy the required technical competencies
Educational requirements: Education relating to healthcare and postgraduate qualifications in health economics, public health, statistics or epidemiology preferred.
Relevant experience:No prior experience required for analyst, and at least 1 year and 3 years of experience in relevant fields for senior analyst and principal analyst, respectively.
State other requirements/qualities such as personality traits, interests or skills required for the job: Familiarity and experience with clinical and cost-effectiveness analysesProficiency in software for data management or building cost-effectiveness models e.g. Microsoft Excel, TreeAge, R, Stata, SPSS, SQL etc preferredA commitment to excellence in quality of research and outputsExcellent time management and discipline in meeting deadlinesGood communication and interpersonal skills and ability to work well with others and build networks
The Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) is a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) entity within MOH. The role of ACE is to a) support national policy decision making through evidence-based assessments and appraisals; b) produce national Guidance on appropriate, clinical and cost-effective patient care; and c) design and deliver interventions to ensure maximum value for the system and patients.
As a Analyst/Specialist you will be responsible for a) conducting HTA or horizon scanning assessments by collating, analysing and synthesising qualitative and quantitative evidence; b) developing Guidance and other outputs informed by evidence-based decision-making; c) developing negotiation strategies to achieve fair prices for medical technologies prior to consideration for listing into the Implant Subsidy List (ISL); d) working with stakeholders, including clinical experts and senior staff to facilitate successful implementation of recommendations and Guidance; (e) horizon scanning for new and emerging health technologies on a regular basis, and monitoring these technologies for their regulatory and developmental status.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTABILITIESTechnical evaluationCritically appraise published evidence on the clinical and cost effectiveness of medical technologies, its potential budget impact and organisational feasibilityConduct systematic reviews, meta-analysis and economic evaluations (when required) to inform decision-making using standardised methodsAssess the completeness of the evidence base, identifying gaps and highlighting important issues for discussionLiaise with clinical experts and other stakeholders to better understand local clinical management of specific conditionsPrepare evaluation reports, guidance documents and other related products for internal and external disseminationAnalyse market trends for health technologies and generate market forecasts for medical technologies using published reports, data, and statisticsManage market intelligence for emerging health technologies before their local regulatory approval or in the early stages of use in the Singapore healthcare systemDevelop strategies to inform negotiations with companies based on evidence submissions, pricing proposals, and market analysesDraft manuscripts for publication in select journals in collaboration with key clinical experts to increase visibility of ACE’s technical evaluations
Planning & organisationParticipate in and assist with the coordination of key internal meetings such as scoping workshops, pricing negotiation meetings, committee meetings and meetings with senior managementIn conjunction with the Senior Lead Specialist, ensure adequate operational technical capacity and resourcing for each project
Implementation & evaluation of impactWork with other team within ACE, other MOH divisions, and other stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of guidance and subsidySupport efforts to evaluate the impact of ACE guidance in terms of clinical outcomes, system impact, and costsManage databases related to technologies evaluated
Communication & engagementPreparing and presenting structured summaries of evidence and specialist advice to ACE’s committees to facilitate discussion on possible recommendationsMaintain links with external academic, professional and clinical institutions to ensure current best practicePromote technical work of ACE internationally to increase the Agency’s visibility as a centre for technical excellence in HTADraft written responses to comments and queries received from stakeholdersDevelop educational collaterals and communication pieces relevant to stakeholders’ needs
Training & developmentUndertake continuing personal and professional development to satisfy the required technical competencies for the roleFor Senior Specialist, supervise and mentor other more junior members of the team as needed
Commissioning & quality assuranceProvide quality assurance for internal and externally commissioned projects conducted by team members (peer-review)Ensure consistency across documents produced in terms of format, content and acceptable qualityContinually evaluate and evolve workflows to maximise efficiency
JOB REQUIREMENTSBachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, pharmacy, life sciences or related fields (recent graduates welcome)Post graduate qualifications in genomics, public health, epidemiology, statistics or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through research experience and further training/development is desirableUnderstanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare, critical appraisal and the interpretation and synthesis of health care research evidenceUnderstanding of methodology to conduct clinical and cost-effectiveness analyses of health technologies, and produce HTA reports Working knowledge of all of the following areas and specialist knowledge in at least one of the following:> Genomics> Health economics> Medical statistics> Clinical trials> Public health> Health policy> Epidemiology> Systematic reviewsAbility to gather, analyse, critique, synthesise and interpret complex information and prepare guidance documents, policy papers and briefing documentsExperience and familiarity with databases, such as PubMed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane, and grey literatureFamiliarity with conducting internet searches of various websites including regulatory and HTA agencies, and manufacturer webpagesAbility to anticipate the system-wide impact of recommendations to subsidise particular treatments including the impact on other hospital units, patients, and the society as a whole is desirable.Ability to write succinctly and translate complex technical information into plain English for different audiencesA commitment to excellence in quality of research and outputsEffective organisational and time management skills with ability to prioritise work efficiently and effectively to meet deadlinesSensitivity to emerging technology trends and ability to conduct trend analysis to decipher the patterns of market movement Effective and persuasive communicator demonstrating oral, written and presentation skills with a high degree of personal credibility and sensitivity Ability to establish effective working relationships with a range of professionals both within and outside MOHAbility to think and plan strategically and to exercise sound judgement in the face of conflicting pressuresA general understanding of the local health system and the social, political, economic and technical context within which MOH operates is desirableExperience working within an academic, clinical or health services research environment, or pharmaceutical or medical device company and supporting a multidisciplinary team is desirable.Ability to use standard Microsoft packages. Familiarity with specialist statistics and/or health economics software packages (e.g. TreeAge, STATA) is desirable For the Senior Specialist role, line management or mentoring experience of junior staff members is desirable.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
The Agency for Care Effectiveness (ACE) was established by the Ministry of Health in August 2015 as the national health technology assessment (HTA) and clinical guidance agency to support providers, patients , and payers make better-informed decisions about patient care.
ACE provides independent evidence-based evaluations of health technologies (e.g. drugs, vaccines, medical technologies, cell and gene therapies) to inform funding decisions and produces technology guidance's on their appropriate use; and develops clinical guidance to inform healthcare professionals on specific areas of clinical practice. To improve patients’ access to affordable treatments, ACE conducts value-based pricing negotiations with manufacturers to ensure prices of selected health technologies are commensurate with the value the technology provides based on proven clinical outcomes. Efforts to support subsidy implementation of health technologies evaluated by ACE and utilisation review of the impact of subsidy decisions are also part of ACE’s mandate.
ACE also develops and delivers educational materials and programmes for healthcare professionals and consumers to drive the practice and consumption of appropriate care respectively.
Staff within the Drug and Vaccine Evaluation team support national clinical policy decision making through evidence-based assessments; and produce guidance to drive appropriate care.
As a Principal Analyst/Specialist/Senior Specialist in the Drug and Vaccine Evaluation team, you will be responsible for a) conducting HTA on new and existing drugs, vaccines and precision medicine in Singapore by collating, analysing and synthesising qualitative and quantitative clinical and economic evidence to inform national subsidy decisions; b) developing guidance and educational materials informed by evidence-based decision-making to shape prescribing behaviour; c) working with stakeholders, including clinical experts, drug companies, and senior staff within public healthcare institutions and MOH to facilitate successful subsidy implementation of recommendations and d) evaluating the clinical and cost impact of implementation of ACE guidance.
Job Responsibilities:Technical evaluationLiaise with clinical experts and other stakeholders to better understand local clinical management of specific conditionsReview pricing proposals and evidence submissions for subsidy consideration from drug companiesCritically appraise published evidence on the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs, vaccines and precision medicine and potential budget impactAssess the completeness of the evidence base, identifying gaps and highlighting important issues for discussion by relevant staff or Committee membersConduct systematic reviews, meta-analysis and economic evaluations (when required) to inform decision-making using standardised methodsPrepare evaluation reports, guidance documents and other related products for internal and external disseminationDraft manuscripts for publication in select journals in collaboration with key clinical experts to increase visibility of ACE’s technical evaluations
Planning & organisationParticipate in and assist with the coordination of key internal meetings such as scoping workshops, committee meetings and meetings with senior managementIn conjunction with the Lead Specialist, ensure adequate operational technical capacity and resourcing for each project
Implementation & evaluation of impactWork with planning and policy team within ACE and other stakeholders within the public healthcare institutions, and other MOH departments to ensure successful implementation of guidance and subsidySupport efforts to evaluate the impact of drug guidance in terms of clinical outcomes, system impact, and costs
Communication & engagementPreparing and presenting structured summaries of evidence and specialist advice to ACE’s committees to facilitate discussion on possible recommendationsMaintain links with external academic, professional and clinical institutions to ensure current best practicePromote technical work of ACE internationally to increase the Agency’s visibility as a centre for technical excellence in HTADraft written responses to comments and queries received from stakeholdersDevelop educational collaterals and communication pieces which are relevant to stakeholders’ needsProvide Secretariat support to MOH Drug Advisory CommitteeShare ACE’s drug evaluation processes and methods and guidance documents with industry and clinical stakeholders through targeted workshops and meetings to outline engagement opportunities, encourage participation in ACE evaluations and address specific technical or implementation issues relating to ACE’s work
Commissioning & quality assuranceProvide quality assurance for externally commissioned projects as well as internal work conducted by other team members (peer-review)Ensure consistency across documents produced in terms of format, content and acceptable quality
Job Requirements:Degree in healthcare or science fieldPost graduate qualifications in health economics, public health, precision medicine, statistics or epidemiology or equivalent level of knowledge acquired through research experience and further training/developmentAt least 3 years of relevant experience in HTA for the Specialist role and 5 years of relevant experience in HTA for the Senior Specialist roleUnderstanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare, critical appraisal and the interpretation and synthesis of health care research evidenceUnderstanding of methodology to conduct clinical and cost-effectiveness analyses of health technologies, and produce health technology assessment (HTA) reportsWorking knowledge of all of the following areas and specialist knowledge in at least one of the following:
Health economicsMedical statisticsClinical trialsPublic healthHealth policyEpidemiologySystematic reviews
Ability to gather data, analyse, critique and synthesise complex information and prepare guidance documents, policy papers and briefing documentsExperience and familiarity with databases, such as Pubmed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane, and grey literatureFamiliarity with conducting internet searches of various websites including regulatory and HTA agencies, and manufacturer webpagesAbility to anticipate the system-wide impact of recommendations to subsidise particular treatments including the impact on other hospital units, patients, and the society as a whole is desirable.Specialist knowledge of assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of precision medicine in HTA desirable.Ability to write succinctly and translate complex technical information into plain English for different audiencesA commitment to excellence in quality of research and outputsAbility to prioritise work efficiently and effectively to meet deadlinesEffective and persuasive communicator demonstrating oral, written and presentation skills with a high degree of personal credibility and sensitivityAbility to establish effective working relationships with a range of professionals both within and outside MOHAbility to think and plan strategically and to exercise sound judgement in the face of conflicting pressuresA general understanding of the local health system and the social, political, economic and technical context within which MOH operates is desirable.Experience working within an academic, clinical or health services research environment and supporting a multidisciplinary team is desirable.Ability to use standard Microsoft packages. Familiarity with specialist statistics and/or health economics software packages (TreeAge, STATA) desirable.For the Senior Specialist role, line management or mentoring experience of junior staff members desirable.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
