Low-cost technologies and public policy

The evaluation of low-cost technologies is complicated by the difficulty of understanding what is meant by "low" cost. Low unit costs may lead to the widespread use of a technology that results in high aggregate costs. It is often more useful to consider the value than the cost of a technology, recognizing that this value may change, depending upon the group to whom it is applied as well as the factors that are measured. Public policy should attempt not only to control costs but also to obtain the greatest value for expenditures in health care by supporting the development of methodologies to define value, reimbursement strategies that emphasize cost-effectiveness, and clinical guidelines that can reduce variation in practice.