First, CMTP engages in horizon scanning for potential topics. This step includes nominations by external stakeholders, and the identification of technologies failing to receive widespread favorable coverage decisions. Technologies are evaluated against a set of criteria generated by CMTP staff and consultants, which includes considerations of the potential clinical benefit (both net benefit and to individual patients), the state of current clinical evidence, cost-effectiveness, potential for unregulated diffusion, demand for the technology within the health care community, and feasibility of study design. For a more comprehensive list of general and project-specific criteria, please 
review our priority-setting manual (pdf) (168.33 kB) . Based on these criteria, CMTP staff narrow down the large initial list of technologies to a list of ten, and provide thorough background information on each of these to a workgroup of technology experts within the disease category representing a range of decision-maker perspectives. The workgroup is asked to review each of the ten technologies against a pre-determined set of criteria, and then holds an in-person meeting to discuss each technology, offer expert opinion, and address questions and concerns. At the end of the meeting, workgroup members are asked to select technologies most promising for CED, and a follow-up conference call is held to present results, address remaining questions, and gauge the degree of group consensus.
