"The work done by the Institute of Health Economics in health technology assessment will assist all of us in ensuring difficult choices are made with the most current evidence available."

Mr. Ron Liepert, Alberta´s Minister of Health and Wellness

History and Strucure
The Institute of Health Economics based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada was established in 1994 as a centre of excellence in the areas of health economics, health outcomes and health policy research.

Mission
IHE´s mission is to deliver outstanding health economics, health outcomes and health policy research, and related services to governments, health care providers, and the health industry and universities for the betterment of society.

How IHE works
The Institute of Health Economics is a non-profit organization committed to producing, gathering, and disseminating health research findings from the fields of health economics, health policy, health technology assessment and comparative effectiveness to improve the delivery of health care and support a sustainable future.
The IHE is a unique partnership of government, academia, and industry representatives committed to bringing innovative thinking and relevant research to support health policy and practice.
The IHE is organized around six major programs: health economics, health technology assessment, knowledge transfer and dissemination, special evaluation projects, key partnerships and capacity building.

Knowledge Tranfer and Dissemination
IHE makes use of a number of means to distribute, disseminate, and increase the impact of its own work. These include traditional approaches such as publications in scientific journals, conference presentations, information via the Internet, press releases, workshops, seminars, and other educational activities.
IHE has a new health book series published by Wiley Blackwell which included three volumes in 2008. Some special dissemination activities include:

• Ambassador Program for knowledge transfer in Alberta. The program´s initial focus is on research translation program to improve the practice of dealing with chronic pain
  decision maker In Your Pocket series. IHE has produced a serie of three IYP health fact books for use by decision makers. Further targeted publications are planned in scientific areas of interest to decision makers.
  
• Consensus Development Conference program. This program provides a highly effective approach to disseminating research findings. The approach is like a jury trial conducted in front of a large audience.