New At VATAP

VA's Technology Assessment Program (VATAP) is a national program within the Office of Patient Care Services dedicated to advancing evidence-based decision making in VA.

Technology as it is used in health care is defined as applied knowledge, in other words: any intervention used in health promotion, prevention and rehabilitation. "Technologies" may include vaccines, pharmaceuticals, devices, procedures, and the organizational and support systems within which health is protected and maintained.

Technology assessment in health care (HTA) is a multidisciplinary field of policy analysis that uses the best available scientific evidence on the medical, social, ethical, and economic implications of interventions used in health care. The HTA process helps identify best practices in health care, thereby enhancing safety, quality and cost savings. 

Treatments for Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer, July 2010  

Ultrafiltration for Decompensated Heart Failure, Jan 2011  

Patient-Centered Care, update, August 2010 

Home Telehealth, June2010   

• VATAP helps senior VA policymakers to determine "what works" in health care by carrying out systematic reviews of the medical literature on health care technologies.
• VATAP evaluations encompass devices, drugs, procedures, and organizational and supportive systems used in health care.
• VATAP reports can be helpful in:
  • appropriateness criteria
  • benefit design or modification
  • case management
  • equipment acquisition
  • quality management
  • risk management
  • utilization management