Understanding the impact of technology on health care systems requires examining all of the factors that influence both the “supply” of and “demand” for technologies. As stressed by Burns and Vicente, “the true leverage points of design occur in the negotiation of contextual constraints, [and] the making of wise decisions early in a project” (2001). By demonstrating how this can be achieved in the design of health technology, this program will provide a unique knowledge base to inform policy decisions affecting the development of innovations, the management of health care systems and the population health.

When dealing with modern technology, a deeper understanding of R&D activities is significant, since at this stage, it is possible to orient and encourage the development of more appropriate technologies.