[The economic and sociomedical efficiency of innovations in the practice of health protection].

Abstract

The article discusses techniques for assessing the economic and medico-social efficiency of innovations introduced into health care practice starting from the example of a new procedure (prodigiosin inhalations) in prevention of ENT disorders and of influenza in preschool children. The analysis bears on the role and importance of evaluations of this type in the implementation of scientific findings, as well as in restructuring the health care sector and reorienting biomedical research. The authors contend that the expanding area of innovation use does not trigger more than insignificant rises in costs (costs allocated to scientific research, for instance), whereas cost containment is almost directly proportional to the expanding applications. It can, therefore, be concluded that imposing limitations and delays in the implementation of efficient innovations bars cost savings and diminishes the actual economic efficiency of biomedical research.