Health technology assessment and evidence-based medicine: what are we talking about?

摘要

This Value in Health Special Issue describes technology assessment (TA) programs in five countries. The primary purpose is to provide information about the ways coverage and related decisions are made in each country, and how TA is used to support those decisions. For this purpose each article stands on its own. Individually they are helpful to understand the decision-making processes, as well as the methods used to assess technology in these countries. But when the articles are considered together, they tell us much more.One immediate observation is the extent to which TA is being t used. These articles describe a very impressive range of programs. These are not intellectual exercises; they are integral parts of national decision-making processes. TA has clearly come a long way from its origins about 30 years ago.