Competing Technologies

Abstract

For a number of years, there has been concern about the contribution to the cost of medical care of new technologies and the increasing use of old ones.^{1 2 3 4 5 6} Within the general framework of concern about medical technology, it is my purpose to discuss here the implications of competing technologies for the cost and complexity of medical care.Emphasis is placed on equipment-based technologies because they have easily recognizable costs and are developing rapidly. More generally, different surgical techniques, "me-too" drugs, and even alternative methods for the delivery of information to patients can compete in the sense that the term is . . .