At the time
of interview, the French process for HTA had evolved several distinct characteristics, of which participants in the
process, at various levels, were well aware: it took place
across a network of institutions; it facilitated a focus on
public health; it opened a multiplicity of mechanisms for
reducing the costs of healthcare including liaison with
medical professionals; it was sustained by a system of price
negotiations and rates for reimbursement; and it accordingly involved no role for cost-effectiveness modelling
against a threshold.