Health Technology Assessments

Health Problem: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition, which presents in childhood and is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction; restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities; and clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functio…

Health Problem: Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor symptoms such as resting tremor, muscle rigidity, postural instability, and bradykinesia and nonmotor symptoms such as sleep disorders, olfactory impairment, attention/memory impairment, apathy, depression, and anxiety. The cause of PD is degeneration of the dopaminergic system due t…

Health Problem: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder characterized by intrusive obsessions and repetitive compulsions where symptoms interfere with a person’s routine, occupation, or social functioning; lifetime prevalence of OCD is estimated between 2% to 3% in the United States. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed as an alternat…

Health Problem: Cervical radiculopathy is a condition that involves nerve root compression in the cervical spine. Causes of cervical radiculopathy include cervical degenerative disc disease, such as herniated disc, as well as spondylosis and cervical spinal stenosis. Few studies have examined the prevalence of cervical radiculopathy, but an oft-cited estimate is 83 patients di…

Health Problem: The 2 most problematic abnormal scars include keloids and hypertrophic scars, which may cause contracture leading to dysfunction and disfigurement. The incidence of hypertrophic scarring is estimated to occur in 91% of burn injuries.

Technology Description: Fractional carbon dioxide and erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet lasers are com…

Health Problem: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, obstructive respiratory disorder in which airways are clogged with mucus; airways and alveoli lose elasticity; or alveoli are thickened, inflamed, or destroyed. Signs and symptoms include ongoing cough, often producing mucus; shortness of breath; audible breathing such as wheezing, whistling, or squ…

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a therapy for treatment-resistant major depression and bipolar disorder in which an implanted generator, the neurocybernetic prosthesis, delivers electrical pulses to the cervical portion of the vagus nerve. The goal of VNS is to reduce the severity and/or duration of a depressive period.

Health Problem: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlargement or growth of the prostate gland. An enlarged prostate restricts the urethra and applies pressure on the base of the bladder. This restriction of the urethra can interfere with urination and eventually cause more serious problems.

Zio Patch (iRhythm Technologies Inc.) Long-Term Ambulatory Cardiac Rhythm Monitoring

Health Problem: Tumors originating in the pituitary are the fourth most common type of intracranial tumor. The majority are slow-growing benign adenomas that do not metastasize. Symptoms from pituitary adenomas (PAs) result from endocrine dysfunction or compression of brain structures as the tumor enlarges, which may result in significant morbidity.

Technology D…