Assistive technologies in nursing and healthcare: Cost factor and/or economic driver?

The macroeconomic impact of assistive and other health technologies is currently being discussed from two points of view: on the one hand new technologies are regarded as a potential factor for rising healthcare costs and therefore an impediment to economic development, while on the other hand they are increasingly considered as a key driver for economic growth and employment. In this paper, we argue that these different perspectives should be considered together as part of multi-dimensional view of the impact of such innovations. As a fully empirical study on such a concept is not yet possible due to data restrictions, this article discusses current empirical findings from a cost as well as an economic driver perspective. Overall, assistive technologies may have considerable positive impacts for the health system and economy, but significant barriers are yet to be overcome.