CARiMan, Austrian Academy of Science, ICS Dr. G. Roscher GmbH, Real-time signal analysis, Speech Recognition, EEG, ECG, Signal- and Image processing, Multiprocessor systems, Anti Turing Test, Echtzeit Signalanalyse, Spracherkennung, Signal- und Bildverarbeitung

Dr. Susanna Jonas
Austrian Academy of Science
Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA)
Health Technology Assessment
A-1030 Vienna

The Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) performs inter-disciplinary scientific research at the interface of technology and society. Its work focuses on development trends, on societal consequences and on options for the shaping of technological change. The research results provide the basis for giving advice to decision-makers.

Technology assessment (TA) should develop insights into the societal consequences of new technologies in order to be able to shape the structural conditions for technological change. In concrete terms, societal benefit from technological progress should be maximised while avoiding negative impacts.

ITA investigates the applications of new technologies in their societal context. The analysis of technological and social conditions, of risks and opportunities provides the basis to develop technological and organisational design alternatives and regulatory options. To this end, it is important to seek systematic and interdisciplinary empirical verification and to put the results into a highly transparent form. In addition, a pre-condition for work is a considerable amount of basic research and an effort to detect fields of future problems as early as possible.

The results are processed into decision-related options. The reports are addressed to all those who are interested in the conditions and consequences of technological change. In particular, they aim at decision-makers involved in the shaping of this change. Many of ITA's projects for national and supra-national organisations highlight this function. Furthermore, international co-operation particularly within the European Union represent a significant part of ITA's work.

The Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) is a research facility of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. It was founded in its present form on January 1st, 1994, based on its predecessor, the Technology Assessment Unit. At present, the Institute employs about a dozen scientific researchers. Their expert knowledge of economics, business management, sociology, political science, communications technology, telecommunications, molecular biology, medicine, genetics, chemistry, ecology and law is combined in the interdisciplinary field of technology assessment. The core group is formed by teams of employees of the Institute, who are assisted when required by external experts.

The institute is supported by a scientific board that has been set up by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. ITA is financed by the Austrian Academy of Sciences as well as by third parties (such as the Austrian Fund for Scientific Research FWF, different Austrian ministries, the Commission of the European Union etc.).

ICT Information and communication technologies	Transformation processes within public administration, science and the service sector; usage and diffusion trends; virtual administration, electronic democracy; regulatory aspects of telecommunication and internet; IT security and privacy.
HTA Health Technology Assessment	Efficacy and effectiveness of medical interventions and their economical, social, legal, ethical and organisational implications in fields like genetic diagnosis, drugs, new and expensive medical treatments.
BIOTECH Biotechnology	Conditions for the approval and regulation of genetically modified organisms and products; comparative investigations of attitudes towwards biotechnology; biotech policies in Austria and Europe; analyses of societal conflicts over technology implementation.
ENVIRONMENT Environmental technologies	Sustainability and environmental policy concepts with a focus on precaution and prevention; barriers and driving forces for the development and application of preventive environmental and sustainable technologies; determination of their feasibility and diffusion potential.
TA BASICS Basic principles and concepts	Investigations into new methods partiuclarly in the field of participatory TA; monitoring of new approaches to TA; Technology Foresight. as the specialied TA institution in Austria, the ITA also has the function of a hub in the TA network: taking care of the TA data bank entries, editing a national TA newsletter, organising conferences etc.

Often there is a “technology creep” without evaluation. That is why HTA means a “look before you leap” approach and HTA should be the essential bridge between basic research and the development and prudent application of health technology. Health technology assessment offers the possibility to analyse the broad field of technologies used in the health care sector. So I would like to give my contributions to molecular genetics, telemedicine, ICR-monitoring, diabetes.

Health technology assessment (HTA) is a multi-disciplinary field of policy analysis which studies the medical, social, ethical and economic implications of the development, dissemination and use of health technology. Health technology is an intervention used to promote health; prevent, diagnose or treat disease; or provide rehabilitation or long-term care. This includes medicines, medical devices, clinical procedures and healthcare settings. Keywords are for example efficacy/effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness, ethical, legal and social consequences, priorities, informed decision making.

This project gives the possibility to attend on an European scientific network project and to try to implement some instruments of HTA during the development period and/or in the early application stage of a technology. Taking part at interdisciplinary project conferences gives the opportunity to get better understanding of technical basics and provide advantages to communicate the aspects, which are considered during assessing the technology.

At the beginning of the assessment I would like to give an overview: describing in short the different technical applications investigated in this project and focusing afterwards on one selected topic of research activities depending on my priorities (e.g. telemedicine, molecular genetics, ICR-monitoring, diabetes) and on the lively interest of research working groups.

In detail there will follow a description of the elected technology (standard, new, future trends) and a description of the social background (setting), in which the technology will be applied and estimations for future development. In an interdisciplinary team the program of emphasis will be defined. Ethical, legal, social and economical aspects are under consideration.

Recommendations will be addressed after identifying and analysing the potential consequences of the application of the technology for special target groups, which should also be defined before from an interdisciplinary panel.

During this health technology assessment the following methods will be used: a systematic literature research and a systematic analysis of the scientific literature based on the selected technology. Expert interviews as well as observations in special health care settings will be conducted. Interdisciplinary discussion rounds will help to cover many different aspects, to get deeper understanding in different scientific fields and to enforce the interdisciplinary dialog. Two colleagues from my institute will be project attendants in broader understanding as an internal quality assurance.

The results of this health technology assessment will be submitted in a detailed report including a concise summary. An important point to discuss the ongoing assessment and the results is the organisation of interdisciplinary discussion groups within the network partners. Conference presentations as well as scientific publishing are planned.

Depending on the time table of the research working group of the assessed technology the assessment will take approximately 12 months.

Milestones are a summary of the literature research of the “old and new” technologies and of analysis of the scientific literature, advantages as well as disadvantages will be pointed out. After this, the social and the additional selected topics, as well as the consequences of the application of the technology will be consolidated. In the next step, recommendations based on the results from the former working process will be developed.

The last step (after 12 months) could be an accompanying research during the remaining period of the project.

Degree at the High Technical School for Biochemistry Vienna, studies in human medicine at the Vienna University (1988 MD). Postgraduate education in general and emergency medicine, postgraduate studies in tropical medicine, Assistant at the Institute for Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine at the Vienna University (1984-1989). Since January 2000 as a scientist at ITA (HTA Unit).

5. Publications

[ITA1] Jonas, S., Wild, C., Schamberger, C., 2003, "Screening" in speziellen Situationen: Prädiktive humangenetische Diagnostik bei hereditärem Mamma- und Kolorektalkarzinom". Zeitschrift für ärztliche Fortbildung und Qualitätssicherung, Schwerpunktheft Screening, zur Publikation angenommen

[ITA2] Jonas, S., Wild, C., Frank, W., Schmetterer, L., Sycha, T., 2002, Immunglobuline in der Transplantationsmedizin: Prävention und Therapie von Cytomegalievirus-Infektionen - ein Assessment. Transplantationsmedizin 2, 65-73

[ITA3] Jonas, S., 2002, Geburt umfassend betrachtet - Ansätze für ein Health Technology Assessment. Zeitschrift für ärztliche Fortbildung und Qualitätssicherung, Schwerpunktheft Geburtshilfe, zur Publikation angenommen

[ITA4] Wild, C., Jonas, S., 2001, Gesundheitspolitische Entscheidungen zwischen Rationierung und Rationalisierung - am Beispiel Erythropoietin bei Tumoranämie. In: Das Gesundheitswesen, 2001, 63, 221-225