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Joint project of the international network of agencies for health technology assessment—Part 1: Survey results on diffusion, assessment, and clinical use of positron emission tomography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2006

John Hastings  and
Elizabeth J. Adams
John Hastings
Affiliation:
Australian Department of Health and Ageing
Elizabeth J. Adams
Affiliation:
Veterans Administration Technology Assessment Program
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Abstract

Objectives: The International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) has been tracking activities associated with the clinical use of positron emission tomography (PET) in its members' healthcare systems since 1997 and published its first Joint Project report on PET in 1999. Part 1 of this Joint Project report presents survey results on diffusion, assessment activities, and policy for clinical use related to PET among INAHTA members since 1999.

Methods: INAHTA members were surveyed in 2003–2004.

Results: Twenty-seven INAHTA agencies (69 percent response rate) from nineteen countries responded to the survey. Dedicated PET systems are the most universally installed systems to date. Mobile scanners and modified gamma cameras are used occasionally as lower cost alternatives, and interest in PET–computed tomography hybrid models is rising despite limited assessment of impact on service planning. PET was used and assessed most commonly for managing patients with cancer. All respondents reported having some form of public funding for clinical PET frequently linked to data collection for the purpose of gathering evidence to refine clinical use and guide resource allocation toward indications that maximize clinical and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions: The use of HTA within a continuous quality improvement framework can help optimize scarce resources for evaluation and use of high cost diagnostic technologies such as PET, particularly where potential clinical or cost-effectiveness is considerable but conclusive evidence is lacking.

Keywords

Positron emission tomographyTomography emission computedTechnology assessmentHealth policyDiffusion of innovation
Type
GENERAL ESSAYS
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , April 2006 , pp. 143 - 148
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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References

Adams EJ Asua J Conde Olasagasti JG, et al. 1999. On behalf of INAHTA. Positron emission tomography: Experience with PET And synthesis of the Evidence. Stockholm: International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment;
Health Technology Assessment International Pre-conference Workshop. Strategies for managing the diffusion of high cost diagnostic technology—The case of PET scanning. Krakow, Poland: June 2004. http://www.htai2004.pconcept.com/index.php?main=programme&req=pre-conference.