HTA is multi-disciplinary field of policy analysis that examines the medical, economic, social and ethical implications of the incremental value, diffusion and use of a health technology in health care.
The term Health Technology refers to application of organised knowledge and skills in the form of devices, medicines, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health problem and improve quality of life.
Left ventricular assist devices help keep blood flowing through the body by assisting a specific chamber in the hearts of patients with severe heart failure. A left ventricular assist device can be implanted as a last resort for patients with severe heart failure who cannot have heart transplantation; this is called destination (permanent) therapy. Earlier devices used […]
Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is considered an alternative to transplantationin end stage acute or chronic left ventricular congestive heart failure (HF). Use of LVAD improves the allocation of transplants alleviating the shortage of donors. The target population of the technology is represented by patients with end stage heart failure. Objectives: To assess the effect of using a […]
In Italy, cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality, morbidity, and disability. Among all cardiovascular diseases, a prominent role is played by heart failure (HF), with 600,000 people suffering from heart failure. It is estimated that the frequency of this condition will double with each decade of age. The limited cardiac reserve of HF patients […]
Heart failure is a complex syndrome that arises when the heart is incapable of pumping enough blood to respond to the metabolic needs of the body. Heart failure is often caused by defective contraction and relaxation of the myocardium, accompanied by elevated cardiac filling pressure. It represents the final stage of a number of cardiovascular diseases. […]