Rapid proliferation of medical innovations in the face of demographic changes and scarce resources is demanding a value-conscious entry of medical innovations into health care systems. An inquiry into value gains significance during the early diffusion phase of an innovation and becomes...

By systematically reviewing current knowledge regarding patient heterogeneity within economic evaluations of healthcare programmes, we provide guidance for future economic evaluations. Guidance is provided on which sources of patient heterogeneity to consider, how to acknowledge them in economic...

The article by Daniels and colleagues on expanding the scope of health technology assessment (HTA) to embrace ethical analysis has received endorsement and criticism from commentators in this journal. Referring to this debate, we examine in this article the extent and locus of ethical analysis...

Using a qualitative methodology, this case study explored the sense of need to purchase and implement an innovative surgical device called the da Vinci robot for the removal of prostate cancer (Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy; RARP). It is a promising innovation despite its high costs and...

The issue of balance between research and treatment in clinical trials conduct has been surrounded by controversies. Scientific characteristics of trials may compromise medical care available to participants, while conceiving research participation as having therapeutic value may foster the...

Since ethical review practice has developed in relation to specific regulatory regimes and local contexts, it cannot be understood without paying attention to the institutional context of ethical review practices. We believe the tendency towards strong central governance and standardization in...

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the experiences and dynamics of the involvement of research participants in a randomized clinical trial for nicotine vaccination. Participants received an experimental nicotine vaccine or a placebo, in addition to quit smoking medication and...

Over the past years, one of the most discussed topics in policy debates on genetics has been the use of genetic testing in insurance. Many of these debates have been rather speculative and abstract. In a recent contribution to this journal, Kaufert therefore urged for "a proper research agenda"...

In the first decade of the twenty-first century, predictive forms of medicine, largely associated with genetics, have become increasingly prominent. This has given rise to questions about the social consequences of this development, for example with regard to the distribution of health care...