Department of Health

Health service responsibilities for technology

Key messages

  • Health services are responsible for the safe introduction of new health technology.
  • New health technology must be assessed for its safety and clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness, budget impact and implementation guidelines.
  • Health services have responsibility for discontinuing inefficient and ineffective (i.e. low/no value) health technology.

Health services are responsible for the safe introduction of new technology and new clinical practices across their organisations. They also have a responsibility for the discontinuation of clinical practices and/or old technology where there is evidence of inefficiency, ineffectiveness or potential harm to patients.

Policy and funding guidelines exist to provide information to health services and direction regarding best practice.

Technology and clinical practice committees

‘New technology committees’ are established in metropolitan and regional health services to provide local governance and oversight regarding the introduction of new technology and/or clinical practice into the health service.

The role of a new technology committee is to:

  • assess proposals for the local introduction of new technology and clinical practice
  • monitor the local uptake of new technology and clinical practice
  • review the local use of existing technology and clinical practice.

Reporting requirements

Regular data and progress reporting on the introduction of new technologies and clinical practices is important.

It enables the Victorian Health Technology Program Advisory Group to:

  • review safety, clinical and cost-effectiveness
  • assess budget impacts and implementation requirements
  • make recommendations to inform potential policy, investment, diffusion and disinvestment decisions at the Department and at health services.

Ideally, health services will be required to submit six-monthly data and progress reports to the Victorian Health Technology Advisory Group.

These should include details on the decisions and progress made about any assessed and introduced new health technology/clinical practice.

Reviewed 11 August 2022

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Contact details

Health Technology Program

50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
Phone +61 3 9096 2142
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