The role of technology in rising healthcare costs

Historically, science and technology have been considered a means to improve the quality of life and to foster economic growth. Technology applied to healthcare has unquestionably improved the quality of life; however, the economic implications of the use of technology in medicine have created considerable controversy. How much technology is responsible for the total cost of healthcare is not clear because its role in rising costs follows the biases of who is doing the analysis. Only addressing the appropriate use of technology in medicine will result in improved health outcomes and long-term healthcare savings.