Original Title: Estudio piloto de identificación y evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias obsoletas a partir de las bases de datos de tecnologías emergentes

Authors' objectives: To test the utility of new and emerging technologies identification databases to identify potentially obsolete technologies.

Authors' results and conclusions: Of the 239 new and emerging technologies identified as potentially substitutive technologies, 40% were drugs. In the pilot study designed to search for CPGs recommendations and assessment reports, although in 75% of the cases CPGs relating to the indications for use were identified, the new technology was only mentioned in 35% of cases. Assessment reports were identified for 70% of the new technologies included in the pilot study, although the evidence found to consider the new technologies as substitutive was generally insufficient. Health professionals’ response to the questionnaires was low (17.15%), with 43 questionnaires (21.5%) completed, which identified a total of 20 obsolete technologies. Discussion The exhaustive search for assessment reports and CPG recommendations relating to the potentially substitutive technologies identified in the EuroScan database should be performed after consulting health professionals, and not before. Having their opinion on the possible obsolescence of technologies and the possibility of the new technologies to replace them is essential, given the international nature of the database used, as well as the sparse information found on the effectiveness of new and emerging technologies. The lack of information included in the EuroScan database hindered the development of the questionnaires. Participation of health professionals was also low, possibly due to the difficulty of considering technologies established in the system as obsolete, and/or a lack of knowledge about the new technologies suggested as substitutive to the existing ones. Conclusions New and emerging technologies identification databases can be used to identify potentially obsolete technologies but, agencies should also consult other sources, such as health professionals, CPG recommendations on ineffective or non-recommended practices and variability studies, among others. It is extremely important to take health professionals’ views into account to place the identified technologies in context, and to encourage their participation in the process. Consequently, it would be recommendable to expand the scope of the existing new and emerging health technologies identification networks to include the life cycle of technologies. This would facilitate the identification of not only new and emerging health technologies, but also obsolete or low added-value technologies.

Authors' methods: New and emerging technologies that could potentially replace existing ones were identified from the database entries made in the EuroScan database between 2000 and May 2008. Then, according to the information included in these records, those technologies that might be replaced by the potentially substitutive new technologies were identified. A pilot study was performed with 50 of those records to find existing clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the indications for use of the new technologies, as well as assessment reports related to them. Questionnaires were developed to gather health professionals’ views on the obsolescence of the identified potentially obsolete technologies and the replacement potential of the new ones. Finally, a list of the obsolete technologies identified by health professionals after consultation was drawn up.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: https://www.ogasun.ejgv.euskadi.eus/r51-catpub/es/k75aWebPublicacionesWar/k75aObtenerPublicacionDigitalServlet?R01HNoPortal=true&N_LIBR=051603&N_EDIC=0001&C_IDIOM=es&FORMATO=.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Other

Country: Spain

Organisation Name: Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment

Contact Address: C/ Donostia – San Sebastián, 1 (Edificio Lakua II, 4ª planta) 01010 Vitoria - Gasteiz

Contact Name: Lorea Galnares-Cordero

Contact Email: lgalnares@bioef.eus

Copyright: Osteba (Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment) Health Department of the Basque Government