OECD Book on Health Technologies and Decision Making

Paris, 28 Oct 2005

Health technology has the tremendous potential to change our understanding of disease, transform the delivery of health-care services, and improve health outcomes. But using such technology comes at a price. Decisions about whether to purchase and use new technology should be based on high-quality evidence on its impact on health care and health outcomes.

OECD countries face the challenge of aligning health-care decision making with the best available evidence. While many countries have invested in the production of health technology assessment, evidence about its use in decision making is limited.

Health Technologies and Decision Making analyses the barriers to, and facilitators of, evidence-based decision making in OECD health-care systems. It examines how countries can successfully manage the opportunities and challenges arising from health-related technology by optimising decision-making processes, recognising the value of innovation, dealing with uncertainty, and producing and co-ordinating health technology assessment. The book also considers the capacity of health systems to respond to the particular challenges of fast-developing health-related biotechnologies.

Further information

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
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