EUnetHTA Adaptation Glossary (beta)

Efficacy:

Describes how well or badly some input (intervention/ health technology like drugs, screening program etc) works under ideal circumstances whether artificial (research setting) or natural (created by for example geography, captive population).

Effectiveness:

Describes how well or badly some input (specific interventions / health technology like drugs, screening program or other services etc) works under usual circumstances (real world or usual practice).

Affordability describes the means a nation / health care system has at its disposal and could allocate to a particular purchase (service). This has nothing to do with the actual decision whether to purchase or not, as this would depend on, amongst other things, the relative and absolute values of the goods.