Technology Evaluation Center Assessments

The Technology Evaluation Center (TEC) creates nationally respected evidence-based assessments of medical technologies. TEC produces 20 to 25 assessments each year for subscribers. Each assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of the clinical effectiveness and appropriateness of a given medical technology. These assessments are written by TEC's core staff. TEC is composed of experienced physicians and doctorate-level scientists with a history of academic and primary research affiliations and is guided by the Medical Advisory Panel (MAP). The MAP is composed of nationally respected physician experts, and has final scientific and clinical authority for all TEC assessments.

The TEC Program uses five criteria to assess whether a technology improves health outcomes such as length of life, quality of life and functional ability. TEC also uses a formal approach when reviewing the evidence, and all reports are written using a structured format.

TEC Assessment Topics

• Behavioral Health
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Cost Effectiveness
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Diagnostic and Monitoring Tests
• Gastroenterology
• Genetic Testing
• Hematology
• Neurology
• Obstetrics/Gynecology/Urology
• Oncology
• Ophthalmology Eye Disease
• Orthopedics/Pain Management
• Pharmacotherapy/Therapy
• Psychiatric Disorders
• Pulmonary Disease
• Rheumatology
• Special Reports
• Surgery/Surgical Alternatives/Interventional Radiology
• Women's Health
• Wound Healing

Following each Medical Advisory Panel meeting, TEC publishes the preliminary executive summaries of the reviewed assessments as TEC Assessments In Press. These summaries provide a synopsis of the specific evidence and conclusions on the effectiveness of the reviewed technology according to the 5 TEC criteria, and represent TEC Assessments undergoing editorial rewrite prior to final publication.

• Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer
• Gene expression profiling of lymph-node-positive breast cancer to select adjuvant chemotherapy treatment
• Genetic testing for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Special Report: Positron emission tomography for surveillance in oncology

• Wearable cardioverter-defibrillators

TEC Assessment Index

NOTICE:

TEC Assessments featured on this Web site are published in cooperation with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Southern California Permanente Medical Group. TEC Assessments on this site are provided to the public solely for informational purposes and are intended to remain exclusive to the site. TEC Assessments are copyrighted material and contain proprietary information that is intended for Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans and other subscribers to the TEC Program. Visitors to the site are granted permission to access copyrighted material for private research or study only. Visitors to the site must not reproduce, distribute, publish or electronically display any of the copyrighted material taken from this Web site. Any commercial use of site content is prohibited without the prior written consent of the Technology Evaluation Center.