Technology Assessment and New Kidney Stone Treatment Methods (Commission of the European Communities Health Services Research Series)

As part of a European Community Project aimed at setting up a general health technology assessment research program, this book reviews the technique of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), which is likely to become the most important method for treatment of kidney stones. The contributors first consider empirical research related to treatment methods, and examine regional variations within countries as well as variations over a period of time. Technology assessment is then introduced and applied to ESWL, leading to suggestions for future research and for a second generation of ESWL machines. The book represents a pioneering attempt to establish rational evaluation procedures in an era of ever-more-sophisticated high-tech medical equipment.