Technology Evaluation Audit

The Technology Evaluation Audit assesses technology management competencies by benchmarking internal innovation management processes against national norms and best practices, identifying both areas of strength and areas needing improvement.

The audit provides hospitals with a snapshot of current performance and suggestions for prioritizing process improvement efforts. It also includes an overall evaluation of performance, an assessment of current efforts in certain key areas, and best practice summaries.

 Download a sample audit

Comprehensive Technology Assessment 

The audit is organized around four dimensions of technology management critical to institutional success:

• Knowledge management: Internal processes regarding the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information related to new technologies
• Committee organization: Structure, scope, and composition of entities formally engaged in the technology management effort
• Assessment process: Procedures and requirements for submitting a technology evaluation request, as well as criteria for evaluating proposals
• Innovation management: Implementation and retrospective evaluation of new technologies
  

Methodology

The audit is based on findings from responses to interviews with hospital administrators and physicians, including those listed below.  We typically speak to five to 15 individuals at the hospital to discuss the current technology evaluation process in 30-minute interviews. 

• Service line directors (for example: CV, oncology, neuro, OR, radiology)
• Any former/current technology evaluation FTEs or committee chairs
• Strategic planning executives
• Materials management executives
• Capital budgeting/finance representative
• Physicians key to the technology evaluation process

Interviews cover the strengths and weaknesses of the current technology evaluation process, as well as the elements of the process that individuals find valuable. After gathering background information on the individuals’ role in the current committee structure, we address  what stakeholders envision as the ideal technology evaluation process for the future in order to match best practices to overall program culture.