Strategy for health technology.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Management
• Technology Assessment
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) established a new Office of Health Technology.
• Diverse technology-based activities require effective management strategies.
• Previous management approaches for technology in health were not explicitly detailed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a conceptual management framework for health technology.
• To support a pilot demonstration for HEW's Office of Health Technology.
• To report findings from an intramural study on HEW's technology management.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development.
• Intramural study design and execution.
• Analysis of HEW's management of technology-based activities.

Main Results:

• A framework for improved management of health technology was developed.
• Findings on the management of diverse technology activities (development, assessment, synthesis, policymaking, intervention) were identified.
• Implications for HEW's technology management practices were discussed.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework can enhance the management of health technology.
• Effective management is crucial for diverse technology-based activities within government agencies.
• The study provides insights for optimizing HEW's approach to health technology.