ABSTRACT
In 1930, the Hygienic Laboratory, which was established in 1902 to test and improve biological products, was reorganized under the Ransdell Act to become the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Since those humble beginnings, NIH has grown to be the principal medical research and development component of the federal government. As one of the five health agencies of the Public Health Service, NIH serves as a major resource for advancing biomedical and other health-related technologies. New health care technologies has constantly been growing, so also has NIH's involvement in assessing these technologies. Assessment and transfer of information on health-related technologies are implemented by the Bureaus, Institutes, and Divisions of NIH and the Office of Medical Applications Research (OMAR). OMAR was established in 1978, by the Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget to act as the focal point for activities aimed at improving the assessment and dissemination of results from NIH-supported biomedical research.
