Technology Assessments
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The Technology Assessment (TA) Program at the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides technology assessments
for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
These technology assessments are used by CMS to inform its
national coverage decisions for the Medicare program as well
as provide information to Medicare carriers.
AHRQ's TA Program uses state-of-the-art
methodologies for assessing the clinical utility of medical
interventions. Technology assessments are based on a systematic
review of the literature, along with appropriate qualitative
and quantitative methods of synthesizing data from multiple
studies.
Technology assessments may be done in-house by AHRQ staff,
or they may be done in collaboration with one of our Evidence-based
Practice Centers. When available, technology assessment
topics are linked to corresponding information on the CMS Web
site. For additional information, please contact the Technology Assessment Program at AHRQTAP@ahrq.hhs.gov.
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Public Review
To get complete public review, the AHRQ TA Program will post draft reports on the AHRQ TA Web site. To meet the timelines for Medicare coverage decisions mandated by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, draft technology assessment reports will be available for public review for a limited time. A notice will be sent out on the CMS Medicare Coverage and AHRQ Effective Health Care E-mail distribution lists 1 week before the posting of draft reports. Each report will be available for public review on this Web site for a total of 2 weeks.
The AHRQ TA Program supports and is committed to the transparency of its review process. Therefore, starting March 18, 2009, invited peer review comments and public review comments will be publicly posted on the TA Program Web site within 3 months after the associated final report is posted on this Web site. The report authors' responses to the comments (the "disposition of comments") will be posted on the same Web page as the associated comments.
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Technology Assessments Completed
2009
Cost-Effectiveness of CT Colonography to Screen for Colorectal Cancer
Horizon Scan: To What Extent Do Changes In Third-Party Payment Affect Clinical Trials And The Evidence Base?
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Devices
Disposition of Comments
Reviews
of Selected Pharmacogenetic Tests for Non-Cancer and Cancer Conditions
Use of Bayesian Techniques in Randomized Clinical Trials: A CMS Case Study
Disposition
of Comments
White
Paper: Potential Conflict of Interest in the Production of Drug Compendia
2008
Evaluation of the Evidence on Benefits and Harms of Pulmonary Artery Catheter Use in Critical Care Settings
Home Testing in Management of Chronic Diseases
Horizon Scan of Invasive Interventions for Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease and Systematic Review of Studies Comparing Stent Placement to Other Interventions
Horizon Scan: Lipoprotein Subfractions for Identifying Patients at Increased Risks for Cardiovascular Diseases
Methodological Issues in Evaluation of Innovative Training Approaches to Stroke Rehabilitation
Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Post-Discharge Care in Heart Failure
Positron Emission Tomography for Nine Cancers (Bladder, Brain, Cervical, Kidney, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate, Small Cell Lung, Testicular)
2007
Applicability of the Evidence Regarding Intensive Glycemic Control and Self-Monitored Blood Glucose to Medicare Patients with Type
2 Diabetes
Compendia for Coverage of Off-Label Uses of Drugs and Biologics in an Anticancer Chemotherapeutic Regimen
Cost-Effectiveness of DNA Stool Testing to Screen for Colorectal Cancer
Decompression Therapy for the Treatment of Lumbosacral Pain
Esophageal Doppler Ultrasound-based Cardiac Output Monitoring for Real-Time Therapeutic Management of Hospitalized Patients
Genetic Tests for Non-Cancer Diseases/Conditions: A Horizon Scan
Home
Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome
Obstructive
Sleep Apnea—Hypopnea Syndrome: Modeling Different
Diagnostic Strategies
Remote
Cardiac Monitoring
2006
Horizon
Scan on Hip Replacement Surgery
A
Horizon Scan: Uses of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Horizon
Scan on the Use of Genetic Testing in Cancer
Non-invasive
Imaging for Coronary Artery Disease
Pulmonary
Rehabilitation for COPD and Other Lung Diseases
Quality
of Life in Macular Degeneration
Telemedicine
for the Medicare Population: Update
2005
Cardiac
Catheterization in Freestanding Clinics
Design of
an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Registry*
Health and
Behavior Assessment/Intervention for the Management of
Physical Health Problems—Cancer Pain*
Percutaneous
Kyphoplasty for Vertebral Fractures Caused by Osteoporosis
and Malignancy and Percutaneous Vertebroplasty for Vertebral
Fractures Caused by Osteoporosis and Malignancy
Point
of Care Testing of Hemoglobin A1C
Randomized
Trials of Secondary Prevention Programs in Coronary Artery
Disease: A Systematic Review
Relative
Efficacy of Oral Cancer Therapy for Medicare Beneficiaries
Versus Currently Covered Therapy
Part 1.
Gefitinib and Erlotinib for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Part 2. Imatinib
for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs)
Part 3. Imatinib
for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
Part
4. Thalidomide for Multiple Myeloma
The
Role of Bone Growth Stimulating Devices and Orthobiologics
in Healing Nonunion Fractures
Usual
Care in the Management of Chronic Wounds
2004
Behavioral
Therapies for Treatment of Medical Disorders: Part 1—Impact
on Management of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
Diagnosis
and Treatment of Vulnerable Plaques
Effectiveness
of Portable Monitoring Devices for Diagnosing Obstructive
Sleep Apnea
Horizon
Scan of Procedural Interventions for the Treatment of Spine
Conditions*
Long
Term Oxygen Therapy
Patient
Assessment for Wheelchairs*
Percutaneous
Myocardial Revascularization/Transmyocardial Revascularization
Positron
Emission Tomography (FDG) for Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
Update
Treatments
for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Vision Rehabilitation
Services (PDF
file; PDF Help)
* Not available electronically. Contact AHRQTAP@ahrq.hhs.gov for report availability.
** Report is completed, but in the process of being prepared for posting. Please check back for updates.
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Technology Assessments in Progress
Projects in final production phase (post-review)
Diagnosis and Treatment of Secondary Lymphedema
Quality, Regulation and Clinical Utility of Laboratory-developed Tests
Report on the Evidence Regarding Off-Label Indications for Targeted Therapies used in Cancer Treatment
Spinal Fusion for the Treatment of Low Back Pain Secondary to Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease (Draft)
A Systematic Review of Topographic Genotyping with PathfinderTG®
Update of Horizon Scan Reports of Genetic Tests Currently Available for Clinical Use
Projects currently under review
Systematic Reviews on Selected Pharmacogenetic Tests for Cancer Treatment
Available January 27-February 10, 2010
Projects in early-mid production phase (pre-review)
Bone Morphogenetic Protein: The State of the Evidence for On-Label and Off-Label Use
Consideration of Evidence on Antiemetic Drugs for Nausea and Vomiting Associated with Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy
Radiation Therapy for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer
Technology Assessment Archive
Technology Assessments for 1990-2003
These technology assessments were completed at least 4 years
ago, and some as many as 12 years ago. These assessments may
be outdated due to more recent research findings not included
in the assessments and should be viewed cautiously in current
medical practice. They are maintained for archival purposes
only.
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