HTA bodies are not organised according to single accepted structure; similarly, there is no single way to involve patients in the work of an HTA body. The way patients are involved in an HTA body depends on the political and cultural context. Patient involvement should be developed as the result of a partnership between the HTA body and patient representatives, and it should be constantly evolving in responsive to ongoing experience and feedback.

HTA supports public decision-making—that is, decisions affecting all potential users of the healthcare system. In most health jurisdictions, ministers of health are accountable not only to patients in need of care, but also to the broader tax-paying public, which is the primary source of financing for the healthcare system.