Health technology assessment: for whom the bell tolls?

摘要

One of the oldest definitions of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) was given in 1985 by the Institute of Medicine in USA: "Any process of examining and reporting properties of a medical technology used in health care, such as safety, efficacy, feasibility, and indications for use, cost, and cost-effectiveness, as well as social, economic, and ethical consequences whether intended or unintended" [1].