How does technology assessment differ among countries: a discussion of three countries with different styles of technology assessment

To answer the question of how technology assessment differs among countries, two background issues must be examined. These are (1) How is health care in the country organized and financed? and (2) What are the country's cultural attitudes towards health care? The cultural influence on methods of technology assessment used in various countries can be seen through a comparison of three culturally diverse countries-Japan, England, and the United States. The focus of the comparison is as follows-an effective methodology of technology assessment should compliment the structure and culture of health care in the country under study. The mandate for the use of decision making tools such as technology assessment for guiding health care decisions is directly related to the degree of centralization inherent in the financing of health care in the country under study.