History and structure
SBU was established in 1987 and became an independent governmental agency in 1992. SBU is headed by a Board of Directors, (10 persons) representing key organizations in the Swedish healthcare system. Scientific Advisory Committees (respectively 16 and 12 persons) provides specialist expertise.

Mission
SBU's task is to critically review the scientific basis of methods used in health care and to evaluate their costs, risks, and benefits. The main objective is to identify effective and ineffective health practices in different patient groups and thereby improve the health services.

How SBU works
The Board and the Scientific Advisory Committees prioritize the technologies to be assessed. A working group of 10 to 15 members is selected, including clinicians, economists, epidemiologists, SBU staff, and individuals from the Board and Scientific Advisory Committee. This group's task is to systematically review the entire body of scientific literature in the field. The group must pass an SBU course on systematic and critical reviews, based on the Cochrane Collaboration model. The literature review usually takes about two to three years to complete. The group's report is then reviewed by external reviewers and by the Board and Scientific Advisory Committee.
The SBU Alert program is a system for identification and early assessment concerning new methods in health care (EWS - Early Warning System). The Alert reports concisely describe the new methods and their effects, beginning with a summary and grading of evidence concerning the method in question.

Dissemination activities
SBU's reports are disseminated on a large scale to predefined target groups (clinicians, politicians, administrators), to the media, and to the general public. The reports are frequently published in English as supplements to scientific journals. A summary is always published in the Swedish Medical Journal and in the Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care. All summaries of the Alert reports are translated into English and published on the website.

Other means of dissemination include regional and national conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and educational activities and seminars for targeted groups, eg, medical journalists. SBU also distributes a quarterly information bulletin, "Medical Science and Practice" (circulation of 86 000 copies). SBU is also disseminating findings through "Ambassadors" in special entities in the county councils to provide face-to-face information about recent HTA findings at staff meetings, seminars, and conferences. SBU publish versions of the reports for the general public. Web page: www.sbu.se.

Current projects (a selection)

• Vaccination During Childhood
• Antibiotic prophylaxis in surgical interventions
• Triage Methods and Patient Flow Processes at Emergency Departments
• Silver dressings to treat chronic wounds
• Prosthetic treatment of missing teeth
• Symptomatic benign prostatic obstruction (BPO)
• The impact of the work environment on musculoskeletal diseases – a systematic review of the literature
• Methods of preventing mental ill-health among schoolchildren
• Diabetic diet
• Bleeding Gastric Ulcer
  

Future plans

• To further intensify dissemination of findings from research
• To act as a national center supporting regional HTA activities
• To develop strategies for effective use of IT
• To contribute to the European Collaboration in HTA (EUnetHTA).