June 15, 2007

Testing technology

Tom Emswiler of the New America Foundation proposes an independent institute to test and study the effectiveness of new health care technology as a way to reduce the expensive arms race underway in hospitals and clinics. Good idea. He uses as his prime example of the problem the latest surgical robot for prostate cancer. He quotes a Boston hospital CEO saying that he feels pressured to buy the new gizmo even though it has not been proven to do a better job than traditional surgery.

I saw a presentation on that equipment earlier this year at a health care conference for journalists in New York. In that case, a surgeon at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital said it most definitely did produce better outcomes. But it also did nothing to cut costs. In their case, as men saw that they could have surgery with fewer complications, less time in the hospital and a faster return to work, more were opting for it instead of drugs or radiation. The result: higher health care costs.

Posted by dweintraub on June 15, 2007 8:33 AM