[Health technology assessment: Critical scientific methods for evaluating the effects of medical interventions].

In all western countries health care budgets are under considerable constraint and therefore a reflection process has started on how to gain the most health benefit for the population within limited resource boundaries. The field of health technology assessment (HTA) has evolved over the last 15 years in order to bring some objectivity and rationality in the discussion and to evaluate health interventions systematically not only under clinical, but also under economic and organisational perspectives. The research area is internationally well established and is being used increasingly more in Austria and Germany. In this article the method of HTA and its general applications as well its explosive nature are presented.