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Chapter 3
The Process of
Technology Transfer
.
Contents
Page
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Factors Affecting Technology Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Characteristics of the Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Characteristics of the Technology Developer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Characteristics of IndividuaIs Using the Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , 24
Characteristics of Organizations Using the Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Attitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Research Policies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Regulation and Reimbursement Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Methods for Measuring and Evaluating Technology Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
List of Figures
Figure Page
2. The Process of Technology Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
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Chapter 3
The Process of Technology Transfer
INTRODUCTION
Technology transfer, as an explicit concept, application in clinical practice.** It is the means
has been used in the health field only in the last by which medical technologies move through
decade. Its increasing use has paralleled the in- their lifecycle, beginning at the stage where new
creasing development of policies related to med- knowledge is translated into new technology
ical technology. Definitions are numerous, rang- through applied research and ending at the stage
ing from the narrow and more specific to the where it is applied to the population. Figure 2
broad and general, The common thread among depicts the technology transfer process. Though
them, however, is that technology transfer represented in a linear fashion for the purpose of
represents a process that includes a series of discussion, the process is rarely, if ever, linear.
events. It cannot be described as one activity or Technology transfer is related to the innovation
one point in time, although discrete activities process* * * and can be viewed as the subset of
can certainly be the focus of the process. that process that is concerned with innovations
The first type of definition is exemplified by that are technologies.
Brown, et al. (10), who define technology trans- Technology transfer occurs either informally
fer as “instances where the given technology or formally. Informal technology transfer refers
moves from one situation to another, which to transfer that happens without directed efforts
may require changes in the technology, the con- toward putting a technology into clinical use. It
text to which it is moved, or both . . . . [It] usually occurs prior to evaluation of the technol-
diverts the movement of the technology toward ogy, through activities such as personal experi-
increasing specificity [which occurs in the in- ence, peer interaction, and publications. Formal
novation process] by either changing the tech- technology transfer is a directed series of ac-
nology to fit a new application or, conversely, tivities designed to facilitate appropriate applica-
by changing the specificity of an application to tion of the technology. These activities are the
fit the technology.” The second type, the broad components of the ideal model of the lifecycle of
definition, is represented by Dans (18), who medical technology development and use, in-
defines the term “technology transfer” as “short- cluding evaluation activities, demonstration and
hand for the diffusion of technology from its dis- control programs, and directed education of the
covery to its appropriate application. ” professional and lay communities in the use of
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) stated the new technology. All types of evaluation,
definition (57) falls into the broad category: then, including technology assessment, are an
“Technology transfer involves the transfer of re- important part of the formal technology transfer
search findings to the health care delivery sys- process. Information dissemination activities
tern. ” Yet this definition has been made narrow assist both informal and formal technology
in its operation by a focus on only two activ- transfer.
ities—the development of technical consensus In general, the overall objective of studying
on new interventions and the demonstration of technology transfer is to develop (and refine)
these new technologies in the health care system. methods and activities to affect the process
As with its definition of medical technology, ’ * *In the context of this report, the term “technology transfer”
OTA defines technology transfer broadly. Med- actually refers to “medical technology transfer. ” “Medical
ical technology transfer is the process of moving technology transfer” could also be called “health-related
medical technologies from their creation to their technology transfer;” the important point is that the process occurs
in the health care system.
● ● *For a discussion of the innovation process, see Stratcgit’s ft)r
*See ch.2. Medic~~/ TQr/7t10/cJg.v A55c5s)tIctIt (92.
21
22
.
Figure 2.—The Process of Technology Transfer
Development ● 9
Basic Applied of Application
research * research * technology * Evaluation* Demonstration* Adoption * in medical * Obsolescence
Stages in * practice
the Iifecycle
of medical
technology
Nonuse
SOURCE: Office of Technology Assessment,
—either to accelerate its pace, to slow it down, the technologies whose movement through the
to modify it, or to stop it entirely. For technol- transfer process will be accelerated or slowed.
ogies showing promise early in their lifecycle or When evaluating the technology transfer proc-
for those evaluated to be useful in certain clinical ess, mechanisms for identification of technol-
applications, it is desirable to hasten the process. ogies (at any of the stages of development)
On the other hand, for technologies not yet eval- should be assessed. These mechanisms at NIH
uated or for those with early indications of being are presented in this report.
inefficacious or even harmful, it is desirable to The technology process will also vary accord-
slow or, in extreme cases, stop the process. ing to its “clients’’ -those who learn about the
The specific objective of looking at technol- technology and actually put it to use. Clients of
ogy transfer for any particular technology will the process include: other scientists, who
vary according to that technology’s state of develop the technologies further or discover new
development—emerging, new, existing, or new applications; industries, who produce, test, and
application of existing technology. * In any of market hard technologies (e. g., drugs and de-
these cases, however, there is a need to identify vices); physicians and other health personnel,
———— who apply the technologies; patients, who re-
‘Existing technologies are those that have already been “trans- ceive the benefits (and risks); policy makers, who
ferred. ” However, they may, as in the case of radical mastectomy, use the information to make decisions affecting
be candidates for transfer activities that “should have been” con- future technology transfer; and the general
ducted prior to their adoption. Once evaluated (or reevaluated), public, who may fall into the other categories at
transfer activities can be used to influence adoption under the very
specific circumstances. any time.
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