Technology Assessment Archive

Health Technology Assessments and Reviews, 1990-99—Between 1990 and 1999, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (now the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) developed technology assessments. Select to access the full reports of these Technology Assessments and Reviews in a searchable database.  

Technology Assessments

Actinic Keratoses (2001) 
Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia (2003)
Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis (2003)
Air-Fluidized Beds used for Treatment of Pressure Ulcers in the Home Environment (2001)
Antiemetic Drugs for Nausea and Vomiting Associated with Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy, Consideration of Evidence (2010) (PDF, 872 KB) 
Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis (2012) (PDF, 1.7 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 330 KB)
Atrial Fibrillation, Catheter Ablation (2015) (PDF, 2 MB) / Appendix (PDF, 1.2 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 576 KB)
Autologous Peripheral Stem-Cell Transplantation (1995)
Automatic Cardioverter-Defibrillator, Implantation (1991) 

Bariatric Surgery in the Medicare Population (2018) (PDF, 1.7 MB) / Appendix (PDF, 4.7 MB) / Protocol (PDF, 372 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 690 KB)
Bayesian Techniques in Randomized Clinical Trials: A CMS Case Study (2009): (PDF, 1.5 MB) 
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Treatments (2004)  
Bone Densitometry: Patients with Asymptomatic Primary Hyperparathyroidism (1996) 
Bone Densitometry: Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease (1996) 
Bone Morphogenetic Protein: The State of the Evidence for On-Label and Off-Label Use (2010) (PDF, 2.4 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 191 KB) / Errata (PDF, 89 KB)
Bone Growth Stimulating Devices and Orthobiologics in Healing Nonunion Fractures (2005) (PDF, 2 MB)

Cardiac Catheterization in Freestanding Clinics (2005) 
Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs (1991) 
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in the Medicare Population (2015) (PDF, 1.6 MB) / Appendix (PDF, 2.5 MB) / Topic Refinement (PDF, 149 KB) / Protocol (PDF, 276 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 336 KB) 
Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy in the Medicare Population, Update (2019) (PDF, 1.7 MB) / Appendix (PDF, 3 MB) / Protocol (PDF, 308 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 284 KB)
Cardiovascular Procedures in Older Adults, Cognitive Outcomes (2014) (PDF, 480 KB) / Disposition of Comment (PDF, 154 KB)
Chronic Diseases, Home Testing (2008) (PDF, 474 KB)  
Chronic Wounds, Usual Care (2005)  
Cochlear Implants in Adults with Sensorineural Hearing Loss (2011) (PDF, 1 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 75 KB) / Errata (PDF, 10 KB)
Coronary Artery Disease, Randomized Trials of Secondary Prevention Programs (2005)
CT Colonography to Screen for Colorectal Cancer, Cost-Effectiveness (2009) (PDF, 529 KB) 
Cryosurgery for Recurrent Prostate Cancer Following Radiation Therapy (1999)

Decision Tools and their Suitability for Patient-Centered Decisionmaking regarding Electronic Cardiac Devices (2012) (PDF, 813 KB)
Diabetes Mellitus, Behavioral Therapies for Treatment (2004) (PDF, 679 KB) 
Diabetic Retinopathy, Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life (2012) (PDF, 1.2 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 76 KB)
DNA Stool Testing to Screen for Colorectal Cancer, Cost-Effectiveness (2007) (PDF, 525 KB) 

ECG-based Signal Analysis Technologies (2010) (PDF, 554 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF Table 1, 82 KB; PDF Table 2, 551 KB)
ECG-based Signal Analysis Technologies for Evaluating Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome (2012) (PDF, 673 KB) / PDF Updated, 688 KB / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 187 KB) 
Electroencephalographic (EEG) Video Monitoring (1990)  
End Stage Renal Disease in the Medicare Population (2020) (PDF, 3 MB) / Protocol (PDF, 453 KB) / Appendixes (PDF, 7 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 700 KB)
End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Undergoing Dialysis, Laboratory Tests (1994) 
Esophageal Doppler Ultrasound-based Cardiac Output Monitoring (2007) (PDF, 945 KB) 
External Insulin Infusion Pumps, Reassessment (1990)
Extracranial-Intracranial Bypass to Reduce the Risk of Ischemic Stroke (1990)  

Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) or Other In Situ Hybridization (ISH) Testing of Uterine Cervical Cells to Predict Precancer and Cancer (2013) (PDF, 2.2 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 273 KB)

Genetic Testing or Molecular Pathology Testing of Cancers with Unknown Primary Site to Determine Origin (2013) (PDF, 1.4 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 519 KB)
Genetic Tests for Cancer (2006)
Genetic Tests for Clinical Use in Cancers (Updated) (2011)
Genetic Tests for Clinical Use in Common Cancers, Update (2013) (PDF, 523 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 291 KB)
Genetic Tests Currently Available for Clinical Use in Cancers, Horizon Scans—Update (2011) (PDF, 593 KB)
Genetic Tests for Non-Cancer Diseases/Conditions: A Horizon Scan (Updated) (2010) (PDF, 893 KB) 
Genetic Tests for Non-Cancer Diseases/Conditions: A Horizon Scan (2007) (PDF, 127 KB) 

Health Risk Appraisal (2011) (PDF, 292 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 292 KB)
Heart-Lung Transplantation, Institutional and Patient Criteria (1994) 
Hemoglobin A1C, Point of Care Testing (2005)
Hip Replacement Surgery, Horizon Scan (2006)
Horizon Scan: To What Extent Do Changes in Third-Party Payment Affect Clinical Trials and the Evidence Base? (2009): (PDF, 416 KB)
Hyaluronic Acid in the Treatment of Severe Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the Knee (2015) (PDF, 924 KB) / Appendix (PDF, 1.4 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 661 KB)
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, Horizon Scan (2006)   
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the Treatment of Hypoxic Wounds (2001)
Hyperthermia in Conjunction with Cancer Chemotherapy (1991)

Immunoassay Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT), Screening Cost-Effectiveness (2003)  
Implantable Defibrillators and the Evidence for Primary Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death (2013) (PDF, 1 MB) / Appendix (PDF, 1 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 771 KB)
Impotence, Diagnosis and Treatment (1990)
Intermittent Positive Pressure Breathing (IPPB) Therapy (1991)
Intensive Glycemic Control and Self-Monitored Blood Glucose to Medicare Patients with Type 2 Diabetes (2007)

Laboratory-developed Molecular Tests, Quality, Regulation and Clinical Utility (2010) (PDF, 2.2 MB) / Errata (PDF, 94 KB) / Disposition of Comments (Table 1 PDF, 52 KB; Table 2 PDF, 211 KB)
Lifestyle Interventions for Four Conditions: Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Metabolic Syndrome (2011) (PDF, 2 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 75 KB) 
Lipoprotein Subfractions for Identifying Patients at Increased Risks for Cardiovascular Diseases (2008) (PDF, 3 MB)
Liver Transplantation (1990)
Liver Transplantation for Patients with Hepatobiliary Malignancies Other than Hepatocellular Carcinoma (2002) 
Long Term Oxygen Therapy for Severe COPD (2004) 
Loss-of-Heterozygosity Based Topographic Genotyping with PathfinderTG® (2010) (PDF, 395 KB) / Disposition of Comments
Low Back Pain, Pain Management Injection Therapies (2015) (PDF, 1.7 MB) / Appendices (PDF, 2 MB) / Addendum (PDF, 129 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 622 KB)
Lower Extremity Chronic Venous Disease (LECVD), Treatment Strategies (2017) (PDF, 2 MB) / Appendix (PDF, 830 KB) / Protocol (PDF, 449 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 1.6 MB)
Lower Extremity Peripheral Artery Disease and Studies Comparing Stent Placement to Other Interventions, Horizon Scan (2008) (PDF, 2.2 MB) 
Lumbosacral Pain, Decompression Therapy (2007) (PDF, 700 KB) 
Lung-Volume Reduction Surgery for End-Stage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (1996) 

Macular Degeneration, Quality of Life (2006)
Magnetic Resonance Angiography: Vascular and Flow Imaging (1994)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Surface/Specialty Coil Devices and Gating Techniques (1990)
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Brain Tumors (MRS) (2003) (PDF, 569 KB) 
Mapping the Landscape of Genetic Tests for Non-Cancer Diseases/Conditions, Update (2012) (PDF, 394 KB)
Measuring Cardiac Output by Electrical Bioimpedance (1991)
Molecular Pathology Testing for the Estimation of Prognosis for Common Cancers (2014) (PDF, 6.8 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 2 MB)
Morbidity and Mortality Among Adult Living Donors Undergoing Right Hepatic Lobectomy for Adult Recipients (2002)  

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Devices (2009) (PDF, 3.5 MB)
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Technologies for Chronic Wound Care in the Home Setting (2012) (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Non-invasive Imaging for Coronary Artery Disease (2006)
Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in the Home (2020) (PDF with Addendum, 1.2 MB) / Report Appendices (PDF, 3.3 MB) / Protocol (PDF, 512 KB) / Protocol Appendix A (PDF, 200 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 804 KB) 
Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Post-Discharge Care in Heart Failure (2008) (PDF, 2.2 MB)

Obesity in the Elderly (2003) 
Obstructive Sleep Apnea—Hypopnea Syndrome, Home Diagnosis (2007) (PDF, 1.8 MB) 
Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome: Modeling Different Diagnostic Strategies (2007)
Off-Label Indications for Targeted Therapies used in Cancer Treatment (2010) (PDF, 2 MB)
Off-Label Uses of Drugs and Biologics in an Anticancer Chemotherapeutic Regimen, Compendia Coverage (2007) (PDF, 1 MB) 
Oral Cancer Therapy for Medicare Beneficiaries Versus Currently Covered Therapy (2005):
     Part 1. Gefitinib and Erlotinib for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (PDF, 345 KB)  
     Part 2. Imatinib for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) (PDF, 367 KB)  
     Part 3. Imatinib for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) (PDF, 846 KB)  
     Part 4. Thalidomide for Multiple Myeloma (PDF, 950 KB)    

Percutaneous Myocardial Revascularization/Transmyocardial Revascularization (2004)
Pharmacogenetic Tests for Cancer Treatment: CYP2D6 for Tamoxifen in Breast Cancer, KRAS for anti-EGFR antibodies in Colorectal Cancer, and BCR-ABL1 for Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (2010) (PDF, 2 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 2 MB)
Pharmacogenetic Tests for Non-Cancer and Cancer Conditions (2009) (PDF, 2.3 MB) 
Platelet-Rich Plasma for Wound Care in the Medicare Population (2020) (PDF, 420 KB) / Protocol (PDF, 105 KB) / Appendixes (PDF, 862 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 429 KB)
Plethysmography: Safety, Effectiveness, and Clinical Utility in Diagnosing Vascular Disease (1996)
Polysomnography and Sleep Disorder Centers (1992)
Portable Monitoring Devices for Diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Update (2004) 
Positron Emission Tomography for Breast Cancer (2001) (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Positron Emission Tomography for Follow-up of Treated Thyroid Cancer (2002)
Positron Emission Tomography for Myocardial Viability (2001)
Positron Emission Tomography for Nine Cancers (Bladder, Brain, Cervical, Kidney, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate, Small Cell Lung, Testicular) (2008) (PDF, 2.6 MB) / Appendix (PDF, 4 MB)
Positron Emission Tomography and Other Neuroimaging Techniques in the Diagnosis and Management of Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia (2001) (PDF, 1 MB)
Positron Emission Tomography for Six Cancers (Brain, Cervical, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Small Cell Lung, and Testicular) (2003) (PDF, 1.4 MB)
Positron Emission Tomography (FDG) for Soft Tissue Sarcoma (2002)
Potential Conflict of Interest in the Production of Drug Compendia (2009)
Pre-transplant Red Blood Cell Transfusions in Renal Allograph Rejection (2012) (PDF, 1.3 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 314 KB) 
Protein A Columns for Immune Thrombocytopenia (1990)
Pulmonary Artery Catheter Use in Critical Care Settings, Benefits and Harms (2008) (PDF, 2 MB)
Pulmonary Rehabilitation for COPD and Other Lung Diseases (2006) 

Radiation Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: Update (2010) (PDF, 1 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 118 KB)
Remote Cardiac Monitoring (2007): Full Report
Renal Denervation in the Medicare Population (2016) (PDF, 595 KB) / Appendices (PDF, 4 MB) / Protocol (PDF, 98 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Retinal Prostheses in the Medicare Population (2016) (PDF, 951 KB) / Appendices (PDF, 1.3 MB) / Protocol (PDF, 211 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 500 KB)

Salivary Electrostimulation in Sjogren's Syndrome (1990)
Secondary Lymphedema, Diagnosis and Treatment (2010) (PDF, 1 MB) / Appendix (PDF, 253 KB)
Signal-Averaged Electrocardiography (1998)
Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney and Sequential Pancreas-After-Kidney Transplantation (1995) 
Single and Double Lung Transplantation (1991)
Sipuleucel-T Therapy, Outcomes (2011) (PDF, 687 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 205 KB)
Skin Substitutes for Treating Chronic Wounds (2012) (PDF,1.4 MB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 2 MB)
Skin Substitutes for Treating Chronic Wounds (2020) (PDF,1.8 MB) / Protocol (PDF, 178 KB) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 3 MB)
Spinal Fusion for Treatment of Degenerative Disease Affecting the Lumbar Spine (2006) (Draft PDF,967 KB) / Draft Appendices (PDF,400 KB)***
Stroke Rehabilitation, Methodological Issues (2008) (PDF, 7.4 MB)

Treatment-Resistant Depression in the Medicare Population (2018) (PDF, 1 MB) / Appendices (PDF, 1.6 MB) / Protocol (PDF, 499 KB) (Amended March 2017) / Disposition of Comments (PDF, 769 KB)
Tomography Scans for the Localization of the Epileptogenic Foci (1998)

Vulnerable Plaques, Diagnosis and Treatment (2004) (PDF, 460 KB)

*** Report was not completed after draft report due to circumstances beyond AHRQ control.
 

Technology Reviews

Cochlear Implantation in Outpatient Settings (1992) 
Combined Liver-Kidney Transplantation (1995)
External and Implantable Infusion Pumps (1994)
Electrical Bone-Growth Stimulation and Spinal Fusion (1994)
Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma (1995)
Home Uterine Monitoring (1992)
Intradialytic Parenteral Nutrition for Hemodialysis Patients (1993)
Isolated Pancreas Transplantation (1995)
Living Related Liver Transplantation (1996)
Lymphedema Pumps: Pneumatic Compression Devices (1993)
Myocardial Perfusion Imaging with Rubidium 82 Positron Emission Tomography (1995)
Procuren: A Platelet-Derived Wound Healing Formula (1992)
Small Intestine and Combined Liver-Small Intestine Transplantation (1993)