Technology Assessments | Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

Technology Assessments

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.

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 Email 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.

Technology Assessments Completed

2013

Assessment on Implantable Defibrillators and the Evidence for Primary Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death
Disposition of Comments [

PDF File - 722 KB]
Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) or Other In Situ Hybridization (ISH) Testing of Uterine Cervical Cells to Predict Precancer and Cancer
Skin Substitutes for Treating Chronic Wounds: Final Report [

PDF File - 1.4 MB]
Disposition of Comments [

PDF File - 1.89 MB]
Technology Assessment on Genetic Testing or Molecular Pathology Testing of Cancers with Unknown Primary Site to Determine Origin
Update on Genetic Tests Currently Available for Clinical Use in Common Cancers
Disposition of Comments [

PDF File - 292 KB]

2012

The Impact of Pre-transplant Red Blood Cell Transfusions in Renal Allograph Rejection
Disposition of Comments
Management of Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis [

PDF File - 1.7 MB]
Disposition of Comments
Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients with Diabetic Retinopathy
Disposition of Comments
Systematic Review of Decision Tools and their Suitability for Patient-Centered Decisionmaking regarding Electronic Cardiac Device
Systematic Review of ECG-based Signal Analysis Technologies for Evaluating Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome
Disposition of Comments
Update on Mapping the Landscape of Genetic Tests for Non-Cancer Diseases/Conditions
Disposition of Comments

2011

Effectiveness of Cochlear Implants in Adults with Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Disposition of Comments
Health Risk Appraisal
Disposition of Comments
Lifestyle Interventions for Four Conditions: Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Metabolic Syndrome
Disposition of Comments
Outcomes of Sipuleucel-T Therapy
Disposition of Comments
Update of Horizon Scans of Genetic Tests Currently Available for Clinical Use in Cancers
Disposition of Comments

2010

2009

Cost-Effectiveness of CT Colonography to Screen for ColorectalCancer
Horizon Scan: To What Extent Do Changes In Third-Party Payment Affect Clinical Trials And The Evidence Base? (PDF File, 520 KB)
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

* 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.

Technology Assessments in Progress

Projects in final production phase (post-review)
Spinal Fusion for the Treatment of Low Back Pain Secondary to Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease (Draft)***

Projects currently under review
Genetic Testing for Risk of Recurrent Cancer

Projects in early-mid production phase (pre-review)
The Effectiveness of Hyaluronic Acid in the Treatment of Severe Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the Knee
Impact of Neurological Events upon Cognitive Function following Cardiovascular Procedures
Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Technologies
*** An updated report is being completed by the Effective Health Care Program and will be available when finished at http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displaytopic&topicid=410.

Technology Assessment Archive

Technology Assessments for 1990-2008These technology assessments were completed at least 4 years ago, and some as many as 20 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.

Current as of November 2013

Internet Citation: Technology Assessments. November 2013. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/ta/index.html