Health activities of the US Office of Technology Assessment

Abstract

The Office of Technology, Assessment (OTA) was formed us part of the US Congress in 1972. The ‘Health Program was established in 1975. The purpose of the OTA is to advise Congress on the positive and negative implications of technological change. Since its beginning, the Health Program has spent most of its effort in describing technology assessment in health care and federal policies toward such assessment. A number of specific medical technologies have also been evaluated. Reports on health-care topics by the OTA have had some specific effects in Congress, but the more important impact is probably on the broader climate of opinion concerning medical technology and its bene fits, risks, and costs. Technology assessment has become an established part of the Congressional decision-making process and is being used increasingly in countries other than the United States.

Summary and conclusions

The Office of Technology Assessment was established less than a decade ago because of general concerns about the place of technology in society. Although medical technology has some unique aspects, it is still subject to much of the same questioning. With large public investments in the development, adoption, and use of medical technology, the questioning seems certain to continue. Policies toward medical technology are evolving rather rapidly. OTA is both part of the change process and is evaluating those changes. Basically, OTA is a commitment by the US Congress to the principle that the use of the best available information can make important contributions to political decisions.