Document Detail


Issues facing the Australian Health Technology Assessment Review of medical technology funding.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20618111     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The Australian Health Technology Assessment Review has the potential to have a major effect on the availability of new medical technology and the listing of associated medical procedures on the Medicare Benefits Schedule. Despite this, only about 15% of submissions to the Review came from "medical associations". Pharmaceutical and medical technologies are inherently different, and there are a number of difficulties associated with evaluating medical technology using the same process and evidence levels as those used for pharmaceuticals. The current sequential and lengthy processing of new medical technology and procedures is delaying access to beneficial medical technology and could be substantially reduced. There is currently no effective funding process for medical technology classified as capital equipment or consumables and disposables. This has created a perverse incentive in favour of using funded implantable prostheses based on access to funding rather than superior clinical effectiveness. The existing horizon scanning process could be better used to not only identify all potentially cost-effective new and emerging medical technology and procedures as early as possible, but also to identify gaps in the evidence.
Authors:
Susanne P O'Malley
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The Medical journal of Australia     Volume:  193     ISSN:  0025-729X     ISO Abbreviation:  Med. J. Aust.     Publication Date:  2010 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-07-12     Completed Date:  2010-08-31     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0400714     Medline TA:  Med J Aust     Country:  Australia    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  30-3     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Medical Intelligence, Sydney, NSW. med.intel@bigpond.com
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Advisory Committees
Australia
Biomedical Technology / economics*
Financing, Government*
Technology Assessment, Biomedical / economics,  organization & administration*,  statistics & numerical data

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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