Assessment of Health Care Technologies: Case Studies, Key Concepts and Strategic Issues

Recent biological and technical developments in areas such as molecular genetics, gene therapy, information technology and robotics are leading to an increasingly rapid expansion of scientific knowledge. In turn this will lead to an accelerated development of new health care technologies. With economic resources for health care shrinking worldwide, and costs rising, the rational use of effective, efficacious and safe technologies is becoming an increasingly important issue for all those involved in health care. Assessment of Health Care Technologies: Case Studies, Key Concepts and Strategic Issues is an up-to-date, authoritative and readily digestible guide to improving decision-making associated with the development, purchase and use of health technologies. It clearly sets out the key aspects of health care technology assessment, presenting real-life case studies to demonstrate its benefits, while at the same time providing helpful hints on how to avoid duplicating earlier mistakes. As such, this book will be indispensable to health care managers and administrators, as well as clinicians, manufacturers, health care reimbursement and funding agencies, and policy makers.