3 Tips For Conducting A Medical Technology Assessment

A medical technology assessment is an evaluation that seeks to provide more information about a specific type of technology's safety, performance, and results. The information from the assessment can assist with making decisions about the technology's pricing, distribution, and future development.

Info from a medical technology assessment can also help determine if a device or treatment will be covered by health insurance. When conducting a medical technology assessment, here are a few tips to follow to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the assessment. 

1. Decide What Information to Reveal During the Assessment

It's essential to be selective about what information you reveal during the assessment. While you don't want to conceal information that has ethical or moral implications (such as life-altering side effects), revealing too much information can impact the results of the assessment.

There may be a negative perception about individuals who opt to utilize the technology, and this perception can affect the assessment. A general rule is to make essential information that relates to the technology's functioning, side effects, and results readily available. 

2. Determine What Kind of Methods and Procedures You Want to Use

Unfortunately, due to time and budgetary constraints, it isn't always possible to conduct long-term clinical trials and observational studies for every type of technology. Studies may have to be smaller than preferred, and you might need to use economic analysis methods to decide if the technology is financially viable. 

Usually, a combination of primary data studies, data collection and retrieval cycles, and limited studies are used to conduct the assessment. 

3. Decide If Info Dissemination is Part of the Assessment

Once you have the results from the assessment, you have to distribute them. This can be done as part of your assessment, or it may be a separate task that another organization will complete. 

Decide if you'll include dissemination of information as a step in the assessment, and if so, how you want to distribute the results of the assessment. You may choose a specific format, such as an in-person presentation or a printed report. Or, you might decide to distribute the assessment's results using a combination of methods. 

Regardless of your method, make sure that the language for your findings is suitable for your audience. If your audience is primarily a group of experts in the medical field, it's okay to include a lot of technical terms. However, if the person receiving the information doesn't have a strong medical background, you'll want to use vocabulary that's easy to understand. 

Contact a company that provides medical technology assessments to learn more.