Abstract:

The proliferation of medical technology, including prescription drugs, devices, and procedures, is often perceived in the current managed healthcare environment as a threat to the ability of managed care organizations to control healthcare costs. However, the ongoing need for new technologies and innovations in medical care demands that we look beyond the cost of developing and acquiring such technologies to the outcomes being achieved with the resources invested. We need to document not only costs and/or clinical outcomes related to such technologies and interventions, but also measures such as cost effectiveness, patient quality of life, and patient satisfaction. Outcomes research is the term given to the assessment of such measures.

Authors:

Kimberly Kunz, M.P.P., Peter Mazonson, M.D., M.B.A., Technology Assessment Group, San Francisco, CA

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