California Technology Assessment Forum (CTAF) Technology Assessments now Available on Medscape23 Jun 2010 For Immediate Release San Francisco, June 23, 2010 – Expanding its reach in the health technology assessment arena, the California Technology Assessment Forum (CTAF) announced today that Medscape, the leading source of medical information for physicians and healthcare professionals , is re-publishing selected CTAF assessments, which are used in patient care, teaching and research. The health technology assessments provide a critical analysis of published research data on relevant and controversial procedures and devices in medicine such as laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for obesity. “Knowing which technologies work is an important component of health care reform,” said Deborah Schwab, Nurse Practitioner and Program Director. Although American health care uses the most advanced technology in the world, some of this technology is of little benefit, duplicative and may cause harm. Therefore application of rigorous scientific methods to review these technologies and disseminate the findings is crucial to insure quality of care and to correct over- or under-utilization of technologies. “CTAF delivers an unbiased view of new technologies that is an important resource to clinicians and patients as they make complex decisions about their care,” said Ezra Davidson, MD, CTAF Chairman. About the California Technology Assessment Forum # # # |
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