Cost-containing medical technology

The types of technologies most likely to contain healthcare costs are ones which (a) bring about a reduction in the volume of contact between the non-institutionalized populations and the medical profession, (b) permit the delivery of services and care in non-institutional settings, (c) enhance self-care or caregiving by the informal sector, and (d) shift the provision of services from the highly trained and costly fee-for-service professions and hospitals to those in the primary care subsector. To translate new technologies into cost savings or reduction in the rate of growth of healthcare expenditure, provincial governments must make some essential organizational changes and resource allocation decisions. As well, some form of technology assessment, if not essential, would be a very useful adjunct.