The New Technology Assessment

The authors of this Sounding Board article discuss how the new to assessment of biomedical technologies that incorporates of effectiveness, patient preferences, and costs, differs from old approach to evaluating medical innovation with its emphasis on and safety. Fuchs and Garber explain what is new about technology, how technology assessment in medicine differs from that in other, what makes a good assessment, and the usual stages and timing of assessment. They also discuss what technology assessment can and cannot, particularly its inability to provide a simple answer to the question of a particular medical intervention is worthwhile. Fuchs and Garber physicians against rejecting technology assessment out of hand and against relying on assessment to reduce health care costs without into account incentives that often promote unnecessary and inefficient care practices. (KIE abstract)