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October 4, 2006
"Technology Innovation in Health Care: Who's Calling the Shots?" - The 2006 Labelle Lecture: McMaster University
Location: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Dates: 4 October 2006
HSC-1A1
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Reception to follow-Phoenix Lounge, Wentworth House
Lecturer: Pascale Lehoux
Associate Professor, Department of Health Administration, University of Montreal. Canada Research Chair on Innovation in HealthDiscussant: Geoff Fernie
Vice President, Research at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Abstract: Since the mid-1980s, health care systems have had to adapt to the constant emergence of technologies and the rising cost of health care services. Nevertheless, we know very little about why certain innovations emerge while others do not, and who makes these decisions. Although industry is often portrayed as the profit-driven “big bad wolf,” several groups, including clinicians and governments, play a pivotal role in innovation. One issue that remains largely unacknowledged is the extent to which these groups are interdependent. For instance, the industry branch of government largely supports R&D while health care decision-makers are those holding the purse strings. Industry needs to collaborate with patient associations and the media to promote the idea that rapid access to innovations will benefit the population. And clinicians, who generally wish to increase the scope of their clinical tools, usually build convincing claims about their patients’ needs. This lecture will examine how these groups negotiate what innovations should be funded and promoted and how some of their claims become more convincing than others.
Biosketch: Pascale obtained her Ph.D. in Public Health from University of Montreal in 1996. She obtained a National Scholar from the NHRDP (1998-2003) and a New Investigator Award from the CIHR-IHPSR (2003-2005). She is a Researcher with the Groupe de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Sante (GRIS) at University of Montreal and was a consultant researcher for the Quebec Health Services and Technology Assessment agency (AETMIS) between 1994 and 2004. She currently holds a Canada Research Chair on Innovation in Health (2005-2010) where her current research interests lie with the sociology of innovation, the production and use of Health Technology Assessment (HTA), and knowledge utilization. She recently published a book entitled The Problem of Health Technology.
For further information regarding the Lectureship please contact:
Christine Henderson,
Program for Assessment of Technology in Health (PATH)
25 Main Street West, Suite 2000,
Hamilton, ON. L8P 1H1
Tel: 905-523-7284, x5268
Fax: 905-522-0568
email: hendersc@mcmaster.ca
Website: http://www.path-hta.ca/
