THE PROCESS OF EVALUATION OF A NEW TECHNOLOGY - GENETIC SERVICES AND THE INTRODUCTION OF DNA PROBES

This paper gives a summary of the main results and recommendations, co ntained in reports for the Department of Health, of an evaluation of t he introduction of DNA probes in the service activity of clinical gene tics. The reports analysed cost and benefits of this technology, the p otential demand for its use, the characteristics of the families refer red to the service in terms of social and geographical distribution, t he relative impact of DNA probes on the work-load of services in compa rison with other activities, and the communication skills required by geneticists in relation to patients and other colleagues. However, the major element of this paper is the discussion of issues related to th e process of evaluation. There has recently been discussion about ways to improve dissemination of results of health services research. We d iscuss here the major barriers that public health physicians and healt h service researchers need to address when playing the role of indepen dent evaluators of services or new technologies. During the course of the evaluation of DNA testing, major changes occurred in the NHS. The evaluator will have to consider not only the costs and effectiveness o f the new technology, but also how the findings are interpreted by the providers within the constraints of the new organizational structure.