Health Technology Assessment in U.S. Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

The processes of evaluating and selecting health technologies in hospitals have been extensively explored. However, few studies have been specific to U.S. hospitals, and none has approached the subject from the perspective of clinical engineering (CE)/healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals. This study specifically explored the intraorganizational phenomenon of how electronic medical equipment (EME) is evaluated and selected in U.S. hospitals from the perspective of CE/HTM professionals. The study was qualitative, incorporating semistructured interviews conducted with 10 CE/HTM professionals. Interviews were carried out via Internet conferencing and recorded. The recordings were transcribed and the transcripts analyzed using the constant comparative method and grounded theory. Participants were able to describe details of the intraorganizational processes used to evaluate and select EME within their hospitals. Themes that emerged included coronavirus disease 2019 impact, growing influence over time, multidisciplinary committees, negative outcomes, organizational factors, and process definition/exceptions. This study found a variety of recurring themes associated with the evaluation and selection processes for EME from the perspective of CE/HTM professionals in U.S. hospitals. Participants had varying degrees of power and influence with the processes. The themes may inform CE/HTM professionals seeking to grow their involvement with such processes.