Ethics of technology introduction: theory and methods

The introduction of new health care technologies raises a number of ethical considerations that should be addressed by researchers, industry, clinicians, patients, funders, and policy makers. The ethical dimensions of new technologies should be evaluated with respect to: (1) their potential to benefit those by and for whom they are intended to be used and the risks of harm that they pose to patients and society; (2) the degree to which they create or foreclose meaningful options to patients and clinicians; (3) and whether they will reduce or increase societal inequalities regarding access to treatment and the allocation of goods and services. These principles should be considered relevant to five interrelated categories: (1) essential concepts and definitions; (2) diagnosis; (3) prevention and therapy; (4) research; and (5) allocation.