Medical technology includes medical and surgical procedures, drugs, equipment and
facilities, and the organizational and supportive systems within which care is provided. This
definition focuses on equipment, systems, facilities, and procedures (but not drugs). There
are considered to be two tiers of investigation in medical technology assessment, given that
it is the evaluation of the effectiveness of equipment, systems, and procedures in treating or
preventing disease or injury:
1. Primary: Clinical safety and effectiveness in terms of physical indicators of patient care
outcome
2. Secondary: Synthesizing the results of clinical impact to project financial outcome and
reimbursement decisions for payers.