This report, the final product of OTA’s assessment on international collaboration in defense technology, explores the form and dynamics of the international defense industry, the intricacies of technology transfer and equipment sales, and the implications for U.S. policy.

This report examines the question of how telecommunication related aid policies might be designed to support both United States trade and foreign aid goals.

In this report, OTA provides a conceptual overview of how designers might integrate environmental concerns with traditional design objectives, and how policymakers can best take advantage of such opportunities. Although the concept of “green” design is gathering momentum, a number of technical, behavioral, economic, and informational barriers need to be addressed.

This report discusses the assessment of non-indigenous-species (NIS), and has three focal points: the status of harmful NIS in the United States; technological issues regarding decision making and species management; and institutional and policy frameworks. Each chapter elaborates on the findings summarized here and contains additional examples of problem species and their locations.

This report is about access of people in rural America to basic health care services. This report focuses on trends in the availability of primary and acute health care in rural areas and factors affecting those trends.

A case study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) over continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) as a treatment for end-stage renal disease (p. 3).

A case study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that provides "a vehicle for gaining insight into the impact that Federal policies have had on the development of NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) imaging as a modality, on the industry that manufactures the imagers, on the hospitals and medical centers that might consider acquiring NMR imagers, and on a public interested not only in the timely introduction of valuable innovations, but also in protection from unsafe devices and rapid increases in health care costs" (p. 3).

This background paper explores key issues concerning the Federal role in supporting national high performance computing facilities and in developing a national research and education network.

This background paper is one of four documents resulting from OTA’s study of policy issues in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

This Special Report focuses on the Decentralized Hospital Computer Program (DHCP) currently under developmental the Veterans Administration. The study was requested by the House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. This Special Report is intended as a narrowly focused, quick response to the concerns of the requesting committees.

The purpose of this report is to examine two crucial questions: 1. What are we getting out of this investment? 2. How can we improve it?

This report describes the second part of the project that studied the science-oriented behaviors of students as they move through high school into college.

This report describes the dimensions of the problem this nation faces in producing enough scientists and engineers, it also attempt to describe how "images" of science may affect whether American students choose careers in science.

This paper examines: 1) the effects of insurance market reforms--measures intended to make the market more equitable, or to make health care more affordable to those without insurance 2) the effects of reforms aimed at the health care delivery system.

This report discusses the indirect cost of medical malpractice, commonly referred to as “defensive medicine,” that may add to overall health care costs. The cost of defensive medicine remains unknown and is subject to much speculation because there are no sound empirical data.

This report discusses what is known about the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and describes research and development aimed at controlling those organisms. It concludes that efforts are necessary both to preserve the effectiveness of currently available antibiotics and to develop new antibiotics. It discusses issues that arise in these activities, and it presents options for taking action.

A background paper for an assessment for the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that closely looks at methodology and cost-effectiveness in the health care industry.

A case study prepared by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) that "presents a conceptual model for assessing the benefits and costs of medical technology, and uses this model as a framework for analyzing the benefits and costs of cimetidine in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease" (p. 3)

A study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) with the purpose of "the feasibility and potential usefulness of undertaking cost-effectiveness/cost-benefit analysis (CEA/CBA) of orthopedic joint prostheses" (p. 3).

In June 1995, OTA convened a workshop that brought together some of the world’s leading practitioners, academic experts, experienced diplomats, and leading technologists in order to study and discuss this issue. This report contains a summary of the results of the workshop, along with the original papers presented.

A study by the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA0 that "assesses and compares increased automobile fuel efficiency and synthetic fuels production with respect to their potential to reduce conventional oil consumption, and their costs and impacts" (Foreward).

This report focuses on policy issues in three areas: 1 ) national cryptography policy, including federal information processing standards and export controls; 2) guidance on safeguarding unclassified information in federal agencies; and 3) legal issues and information security, including electronic commerce, privacy, and intellectual property.

This report focuses on the process of Federal Domestic Technology Transfer and the organizations and mechanisms that foster this process. It discusses the barriers in detail, and discusses options for improving the process including the case for a centralized, user friendly, information system.

This report describes how analysts developed and evaluated a number of alternative configurations of technology that, combined with certain legal and institutional innovations, could greatly enhance the capability of law enforcement agencies to detect and prosecute money launders seeking to exploit U.S. financial institutions and wire transfer systems.