How can new technology be introduced, evaluated, and financed in critical care?

We briefly review issues impacting the introduction, evaluation, and cost of technology in critical care, providing a clinician's perspective. Where appropriate, we note important distinctions between health-care systems in Canada and the United States--primarily the result of significant differences in the methods for funding health care in the two countries. Finally, we discuss what processes might be reasonably considered for evaluating technology in critical care and discuss the probability of various consequences that will significantly affect the care we provide our patients if critical-care practitioners, industry, and health planners fail to jointly undertake this responsibility.