Neuroblastoma, Well-Designed Evaluations, and the Optimality of Research Funding: Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You

Health care technology assessment (HTA) has garnered the attention of policy makers over the past 20 years because the introduction of new technologies is widely believed to have been a major driver of increased health care expenditures in developed countries. Careful evaluation of health care technology prior to widespread introduction and diffusion has become a priority for policy makers who are committed to evidence-based decision making, and those involved with HTA have argued the merits of including economic evaluations alongside clinical effectiveness evaluations. It has been recognized that rigorous economic evaluations of new technologies may not always be feasible, and even if feasible the evaluation itself may not be cost-effective.