Evaluating Emerging Technologies: Is the Future Now?? (Text Version)

On September 27, 2010, Elise Berliner made this presentation at the 2010 Annual Conference. Select to access the PowerPoint® presentation (1.4 MB).  

---

Slide 1

Evaluating Emerging Technologies: Is the Future Now??

Elise Berliner, PhD
Director, Technology Assessment Program
Center for Outcomes and Evidence

Slide 2

Image: Photo of a Star Trek toy called Dr. McCoy's Medical Kit.

Slide 3

• Proton Therapy: "the technology and machinery looks like something that should be operated by Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy on 'Star Trek'."
  • Jacksonville Financial News and Daily Record, 8/15/2008
• Fetal Surgery: "it is both amazing and troubling, something one sees on "Star Trek" rather than the hospital around the corner"
  • Monica Casper, The Making of an Unborn Patient: A Social Anatomy of Fetal Surgery, page 2

Slide 4

Issues in Evaluation of New Technology

• When is the right time to assess new technology?
  • "too early": not enough data, effect on innovation?
  • "too late": technologies diffuse into clinical practice, often without strong evidence of effectiveness
• How can the methods of systematic review be applied to early stage technologies (AHRQ tech brief process)
• What are the issues in carrying out clinical evaluation of emerging technologies (MOMS trial case study)?

Slide 5

Presentations

• Technical Brief on Particle Beam Radiation Treatments for Cancer
  • Tom Trikalinos, Tufts Evidence-based Practice Center
• Technical Brief on Fetal Surgery
  • Katherine Hartmann, Vanderbilt Evidence-based Practice Center
• The MOMS Trial of Fetal Surgery for Myelomeningocele
  • Susan Tolivaisa, National Institutes of Health

Slide 6

Questions for Discussion

• What are the strengths and limitations of the tech brief process?
• At what stage in technology development should a tech brief be initiated?
  • Timing of publication of new studies
• How can stakeholders use the results of tech briefs?

Slide 7

Questions for Discussion

• Should medical innovation be deployed as medical research or as medical practice?
• What are the thresholds and models for oversight?
• What information should be disclosed to patients?
• Is there a professional duty to learn and to educate other practitioners?

Questions from Margaret Eaton and Donald Kennedy "Innovation in Medical Technology, Ethical Issues and Challenges"

Slide 8

Contact

Elise Berliner
elise.berliner@ahrq.hhs.gov
301-427-1612