How to Rationally Use Information Diagnostic Technologies in Family and General Medicine Practice

CONFLICT OF INTEREST: NONE DECLARED New discoveries in technology indeed enabled significant improvement of health care in the last three decades. Only during the last few years a significant breakthrough is achieved in the field of antiviral drugs, biotechnology, digital diagnostic technology, molecular diagnosis, tissues and organs transplantation as well as surgical and information technologies, which all contributed to the improvement of health care. Rapid growth of medical technology has led to the increase in costs of health care, increased access to these technologies and improvement of health care that is permanently encouraging the further development of technology. Technology encompasses the skills, knowledge and ability to understand, use and create useful things. It is the practical application of knowledge. Evaluation of health technology is the systematic evaluation of characteristics, results or impact of health technologies. The primary purpose of evaluation is to provide information to responsible parties for the technology in the health care system, which will be used in decision-making and introduction of these technologies. Information technology in medicine and health care represents all medical and health technology in the process of work, monitoring and evaluation done using computer technology. Progress of medical science in recent years especially needs to thank to the development of information technologies. The health care system of Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently operating in the two sub-systems of primary health care. One is inherited from the past system, in which the primary health care is provided by general practitioners, specialists in general practice, as well as gynecologists, pediatricians and pulmologists, and the second subsystem occurs when in PHC is introduced the system of family medicine doctors and family medicine specialists. Family medicine, based on the concept of orientation towards the methods which are more effective, rational and cost-effective health care, use of defined procedures and evidence-based medicine, and more adequate education can empower and stimulate general practice doctors, especially family medicine specialists, who have passed various forms of training and courses in this area, to more rational and efficient use of diagnostic technology in their daily practice, without unnecessary duplication of tests. With this they make savings to the healthcare system, improve the financial position of overall health system, especially in the PHC segment, increase satisfaction of doctors providing that health care, but also the users of health services.