Giant cell arteritis Probably underdiagnosed and overtreated

One suggestion is to produce a version of Health Technology Trends, an American journal that resembles a Which? review of competing technologies, which could act as a clearing house for data on health technology assessment. Another national initiative should be to ensure that health technology assessment is given due prominence in the training of doctors and managers. Eventually, however, managers may have to introduce incentives to encourage doctors to take health technology assessment into account when making decisions about priorities and practice. Perhaps new technology should be provided only if the users promise to evaluate it. This requires the recognition that time spent on evaluation is important. Some fear that the emphasis on work related clinical contracts and maximising cost efficient delivery may reduce the time that doctors are willing to spend on research, which may come to be associated with other paymasters such as the Medical Research Council or the universities. It is therefore reassuring to have such a clear acknowledgement by the NHS of the importance of health technology assessment and the recognition of its need for substantial funding. Also that the NHS and MRC have once again declared the importance of joint efforts in health service research and clinical trials.12