The Need For Outcomes Research In Evaluating The Benefit Of Health Care Technology

Despite the remarkable advances conferred to the health care system, technological innovation is often pointed out as an important "culprit" behind the astonishing increases in medical care expenditures, Until cost constraint became an issue of national significance, innovations that offered any potential health benefit rapidly diffused within the United States medical community - indifferent to the amount of resources expended. This pattern of adoption was driven by generous coverage policies of third-party payers that frequently did not require proof of effectiveness for reimbursement, Recently, attention has turned to the outcomes evaluation of medical interventions; assessing not only patient safety, but critically examining the risks and benefits, measured in clinical benefits and resource costs.