Future directions in the evaluation of innovative technologies in healthcare

Abstract: Technology in healthcare is rapidly advancing. For example, a recent healthcare report suggests that 9 out of 10 operations will be undertaken by robot assisted surgery by 2035. It is also anticipated that artificial intelligence (AI) will soon become much more widespread in the health service and the use of augmented/virtual reality more routinely adopted in clinician training.  Innovations such as surgical technology, AI, and other innovative devices raise complex challenges for evaluation – for example the incorporation of learning curves, ensuring evaluation is possible without slowing down the innovation pathway, evaluating interventions while they are still be refined etc. Evaluation of these innovative technologies also raises statistical design and analysis challenges. This talk will present some of the emerging challenges and opportunities with the evaluation of innovative technologies, highlight a number of relevant frameworks (e.g. IDEAL, CPI-AI) and discuss the role of statistical approaches (such as Bayesian borrowing, learning curves analysis, estimands, etc) that can support evaluation in this space. Future directions in this arena will also be discussed.

Speaker: Professor Marion Campbell, Professor of Health Services Research

Co-Director, Royal College of Surgeons (RCSEngland) Aberdeen Surgical Trials Centre