ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Health Economics
Construction of a comprehensive value assessment framework for renal denervation therapy: a decision-support tool for Chinese hospital management
- CL
CHANG LIU 1
- ML
Min Lin 2
- FX
Feng Xu 3
- YY
Yi Yan 1
- LT
Libo Tao 1
1. Center for Health Policy and Technology Evaluation, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
2. The Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
3. Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
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Abstract
Objective: Renal denervation (RDN) therapy is an innovative interventional therapy for patients with refractory hypertension and antihypertensive drug intolerance. In China, four RDN products were approved by National Medical Products Administration. This study aims to construct a comprehensive value assessment framework for RDN therapy to support the rational selection and application in Chinese hospitals. Methods: Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach was used to develop the framework. We conducted a literature review and focus group interviews to identify the list of criteria that should be included in the framework. Then, the Delphi method was applied to refine the framework. With the engagement of cardiologists and non-clinical professionals from hospitals in different regions, weights were given to each criterion by the analytic hierarchy process. Results: The comprehensive value assessment framework for RDN therapy consists of three levels of criteria in seven domains, including seven criteria at the first level, sixteen secondary criteria and thirty sub-criteria at the third level. The distribution of criteria weights at the first level is: efficacy (23.26%), safety (21.83%), qualification and suitability (16.84%), patient value (15.18%), innovation (10.65%), management value (6.22%), and cost (6.01%). The prioritized domains are efficacy, safety, qualification and suitability. Conclusion: The development of a comprehensive value assessment framework for RDN can serve as a reliable and scientific tool to support the procurement reviews and decisions for RDN devices in Chinese hospitals.
Summary
Keywords
Comprehensive value assessment framework, Health Technology Assessment, Hospital management, MCDA, RDN
Received
01 February 2026
Accepted
22 May 2026
Copyright
© 2026 LIU, Lin, Xu, Yan and Tao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: CHANG LIU; Libo Tao
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.