Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Medical Sciences, cilt.30, sa.6, ss.2020-2024, 2010 (SCI-Expanded)
Wish for transparency in the political decisions in the area of health direct the policy makers towards reliable, provable, safe and explicable tools. Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) which is one of these tools is defined as "Conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients". Evidence Based Health Policy as a new concept along with Evidence Based Medicine in the area of health policy and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) has developed rapidly during last 20 years especially in Northern part of America and Western part of Europe. Evidence based policy makers reflect scientific data to decision making dynamics in the context of judicial, cultural and social structure of the environment adding the merit and expectations of the community to their experiences of political decision making. HTA evaluates the health technologies according to medical, economical, judicial, ethical and sociocultural features in order to clarify the decisions of health policy-makers. Target of HTA, which is one of the most important tools for use of evidence in health policy and integration of cost effectiveness accounts to policy, is to provide scientific support to political decisions. This article aims to enhance the awareness of health professionals about HTA. Awareness about this area is still lacking in Turkey, however health professionals play important roles in the process of HTA, reflecting it to political decisions and in practice. Awareness and involvement of health professionals to the process is important with regard to development of this area and enhancement of the involvement for decision making. Informing the participants and providing involvement in the process will form the basis of more reasonable decision making in health. © 2010 by Türkiye Klinikleri.