DSI, Denmark
A policy is an overall plan embracing general goals or ideas. It will almost always include an objective and some method of action selected among alternatives to guide decisions.
A policy question is the object for the overall policy or related one of the alternatives. For example a heath policy could be treatment of patients’ diabetes and a policy question related to that policy could be how often the patients with diabetes type II should be screened for retinopathy.
Policy makers are individuals who make decisions at the policy level that have a political impact. It is often individuals who have reached their office via the electoral process (or are appointed by those who did). In an HTA perspective, it could just as well be leading doctors or hospital department who are so respected among there peers, that other professionals generally follow their policies or guidelines.