Integrated Operating Rooms - A Health Technology Assessment

This Health Technology Assessment (HTA) concerns integrated operating rooms. The project is based on the fact that in recent years an increase has been observed in the use of the technology 'integrated operating rooms'. Integrated operating rooms can be described as a collection of systems and technologies that are functionally linked to one unit, which allows the surgical staff to control equipment in the operating room from a single control unit (touchpad). The technology has already been introduced in around 77 operating rooms in Denmark, and since the cost of establishing the technology is considerable, this may well result in a significant increase in the total costs within this area. Consequently, the Health Directors in the Danish Regions have initiated a Health Technology Assesment (HTA) to look into whether or not it is relevant to continue to introduce the technology and if so how this should be done. The assessment includes examination of effects and risks related to use of integrated operating rooms, as well as organizational and economic consequences of implementation and use of the technologies. The HTA-report is conducted by an interdisciplinary project group comprising relevant academic, research and methodological knowledge. DEFACTUM, Central Denmark Region, was responsible for project management during conduction of the HTA report and a reference group was established for the HTA project. The report is intended for regional decision-makers and can be used in local and national decision-making processes. DEFACTUM would like to thank the members of the project group for their efforts in the conduction of the report and the reference group for their contributions and comments. Finally, DEFACTUM would like to thank professional and methodological reviewers as well as peer-reviewers for advice and comments. The report is published as a full English version with a Danish summary and as a Danish summary.