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Identification of health-related needs: The needs examination, evaluation and dissemination (NEED) assessment framework

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  • Maertens de Noordhout, Charline
  • Levy, Muriel
  • Claerman, Rani
  • de Jaeger, Mats
  • De Pauw, Robby
  • Kohn, Laurence
  • Schönborn, Claudia
  • Cleemput, Irina

Abstract

Innovation in healthcare is highly supply-driven, leading to underinvestment in less profitable health areas, unmet needs and inefficient use of public resources. This study proposes a framework to structure the identification of health-related patient and societal needs across different health conditions, supporting the evolution towards needs-driven healthcare policy and innovation. The Needs Examination, Evaluation and Dissemination (NEED) assessment framework was based on the results of two systematic literature reviews and stakeholder and expert consultation. The first review concerned patient needs criteria and the second concerned societal needs criteria. Relevant publications in Ovid Medline® or Embase®, in English, French or Dutch were included. The NEED framework addresses patient, societal, and future needs across health, healthcare, and social domains. Patient-level needs encompass five criteria in the health domain (e.g., impact on quality of life), four in the healthcare domain (e.g., burden of treatment) and four in the social domain (e.g., impact on social life). Societal needs encompass four health needs criteria (e.g., transmissibility), two healthcare needs criteria (e.g., value for money) and two social needs criteria (e.g., productivity losses). Future needs criteria (2) consider future burden of disease and economic burden. Equity is recognised as a transverse dimension, requiring unmet needs data disaggregated by population sub-groups. Each criterion is associated with one or more measurable indicators. This framework represents an important first step towards a more needs-driven healthcare policy and innovation landscape.

Suggested Citation

  • Maertens de Noordhout, Charline & Levy, Muriel & Claerman, Rani & de Jaeger, Mats & De Pauw, Robby & Kohn, Laurence & Schönborn, Claudia & Cleemput, Irina, 2025. "Identification of health-related needs: The needs examination, evaluation and dissemination (NEED) assessment framework," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:hepoli:v:155:y:2025:i:c:s0168851025000193
    DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2025.105263
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rodriguez Santana, Idaira & Mason, Anne & Gutacker, Nils & Kasteridis, Panagiotis & Santos, Rita & Rice, Nigel, 2023. "Need, demand, supply in health care: working definitions, and their implications for defining access," Health Economics, Policy and Law, Cambridge University Press, vol. 18(1), pages 1-13, January.
    2. Sarah Ziegler & Alessia Raineri & Vasileios Nittas & Natalie Rangelov & Fabian Vollrath & Chantal Britt & Milo A. Puhan, 2022. "Long COVID Citizen Scientists: Developing a Needs-Based Research Agenda by Persons Affected by Long COVID," The Patient: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Springer;International Academy of Health Preference Research, vol. 15(5), pages 565-576, September.
    3. Kyann Zhang & Gayathri Kumar & Chris Skedgel, 2021. "Towards a New Understanding of Unmet Medical Need," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 785-788, November.
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