Technology framework. A system's five-phase approach integrates values with vision

Healthcare providers must assess how a technology can benefit patients and how it relates to existing technology. They must also look at a new technology's expense, quality, efficacy, and appropriateness. In March 1990 Mercy Health Services (MHS), Farmington Hills, MI, developed a five-phase technology assessment approach to help each hospital division balance its resources with the needs of its community. A technology assessment approach should: Be apolitical, unbiased, and objective Examine the relationship between existing, new, and emerging technologies Balance the community's needs with the healthcare organization's resources The five phases of MHS's technology assessment approach are as follows: Baseline assessment Regional vision Coordination and implementation Measurement and analysis Report results