How do economic factors influence adoption of cardiac technologies? Result from the TECH project

The TECH research network collected patient-level data on three procedures for treatment of heart attack patients, (catheterization, coronary artery by-pass grafts and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty), for seventeen countries over an eighteen year period to examine the impact of economic and institutional factors on technology adoption. Specific institutional factors are shown to be important to the up-take of these technologies. Health care systems characterized as public contract systems and reimbursement systems have higher adoption rates than public integrated health care systems. Central funding of investments was negatively associated with adoption rates. GDP per capita also has a strong role in initial adoption. The impact of income and institutional characteristics on the utilization rates of these procedures diminishes over time.