Health policy, health technology assessment, and screening in Europe.
OBJECTIVE
To present a summary of the papers in this volume, illustrating the links between health technology assessment (HTA), health policies and specifically policies toward prevention and screening, and implementation of screening tests in the case of three screening methods: mammography screening for breast cancer, screening for prostate cancer, and routine use of ultrasound in pregnancy.


METHODS
To commission papers from eight European countries based on a set of questions to be answered, as well as a paper synthesizing the scientific literature on the three screening procedures.


RESULTS
Indicate that few of the countries examined have developed effective links between HTA, health policy, and implementation related to screening procedures. Only Sweden and the Netherlands appear to have developed such links. In the other countries, HTA has a limited role in determining health policy. It also seems to be uncommon for countries to have a specific prevention strategy.


CONCLUSIONS
The major conclusion is that countries of Europe need to develop HTA as part of prevention policies.
Banta
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HD
Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, TNO.
D000328:Adult; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen