Images from Health Facilities in Nicaragua - Medical Devices and Biomaterials for the Developing World - page 92

Appendix B
Medical Technology Score

Qualities That the MTS Aims to Account for

(For a single facility)

- Whether a facility has the right equipment (right is defined based on the facility

type)
Whether a facility has the right number of each device (with emphasis on the -

most important devices)
Whether a facility is equipped to treat conditions that are locally relevant -

(Other goals)

- Ease of comparison between nations, taking into account the unique distribution

of facilities in each

Possible Approaches

1. The facility score is the average of individual item scores, weighted by the level
of importance of each item. The category score is the average of facility scores,
weighted by the “weight” of each category in that country.

(a) This puts the scores all over the same denominator so that they can become
percentages, making interpretation easier.

2. The score is an aggregate of “points.” Facilities receive extra points for desirable
qualities (one point each for items A and B, two for C because it's more
important).

(a) There is a problem here—it's boundless! It could be huge for bigger hospi-
tals because they have more equipment (but not necessarily a larger propor-
tion of what they should have).