Group art therapy as an adjunctive treatment for people with schizophrenia: a randomised controlled trial (MATISSE).

The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme, part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), was set up in 1993.It produces high-quality research information on the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS.'Health technologies' are broadly defined as all interventions used to promote health, prevent and treat disease, and improve rehabilitation and long-term care.The research findings from the HTA programme directly influence decision-making bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Screening Committee (NSC).HTA findings also help to improve the quality of clinical practice in the NHS indirectly in that they form a key component of the 'National Knowledge Service' .The HTA programme is needs led in that it fills gaps in the evidence needed by the NHS.There are three routes to the start of projects.First is the commissioned route.Suggestions for research are actively sought from people working in the NHS, from the public and consumer groups and from professional bodies such as royal colleges and NHS trusts.These suggestions are carefully prioritised by