Report urges freedom for genetic engineers.
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This paper presents the results of the first comprehensive international survey to catalogue health technology assessment (HTA) activities. By 1995, there were formal HTA programs in 24 countries established mostly in the late 1980s and early 1990s. European countries generally have one or two federal or provincial HTA programs each, Canada has an extensive network of federal and regional organizations coordinated by a central body and the US has 53 HTA organizations, the vast majority of which are in the private sector. While the commitment of the US government to HTA has been erratic, the private sector has been witness to an expansion of HTA activities by insurance companies, hospitals, medical/device manufacturers, consulting firms and health professional societies. In contrast to other developed countries, the current state of technology assessment in the US is decentralized, fragmented and duplicative. We conclude by discussing the importance of a US HTA agency at the national level.
This article considers technology assessment (TA) to be a comprehensive form of policy research. Technology assessment must then have a relation to policy-making; in the area of health care, TA must relate to such political decisions as resource allocation. Since policies are determined politically, i.e., by factors such as power and influence, technology assessment is, or should be, part of a political process. Technology assessment seems to be developing predominantly as a technical and professional activity, carried out in centers with no relation to the policy-making process. While the impact of technology on health, as well as such broader impacts as those on financial costs, is a key concern, political considerations and political decision-making must always be an important dimension in health care TA.
Health technology assessment as a formalized set of activities has a relatively short history. At its current stage of development, it is clear that it has global dimensions and impact. In this paper we review the history of health technology assessment, its development as a form of health services research, and its "institutionalization." We then identify the reasons for its internationalization, review current international initiatives, and propose actions to be taken to improve cooperation among countries.
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Sleep disorders are common in our society. It is estimated that there are 50 million people in the United States who suffer to varying degrees from sleep problems. A great deal has been learned about sleep during the past 40 years. Much of this knowledge has been obtained by the use of PSG, which consists of the simultaneous recording of several physiologic parameters from a patient just prior to and during sleep. Much of the technology utilized in PSG are based on individual tests developed many years ago. Current published data permit the conclusion that PSG is useful for the diagnostic evaluation of patients with sleep-related breathing disorders, may be helpful in the evaluation of suspected cases of narcolepsy wherein other findings are inconclusive or contradictory, and may be helpful in cases of parasomnias and/or suspected epilepsy wherein the distinction between seizure activity and other forms of sleep disturbance is uncertain. Current data do not permit a firm conclusion as to the clinical effectiveness of PSG in other symptoms of sleep disturbance such as insomnia. Current, ongoing clinical trials are expected to provide information addressing this point, and several agencies (NINDS, ADAMHA, and NIA) have expressed their intent to encourage the organization of prospective trials to determine the ultimate clinical utility of SDC and PSG techniques. A physician need not be present during PSG in an SDC.