How can we assess the value of complex medical innovations in practice?

Rapid proliferation of medical innovations in the face of demographic changes and scarce resources is demanding a value-conscious entry of medical innovations into health care systems. An inquiry into value gains significance during the early diffusion phase of an innovation and becomes indispensable as the complexity of an innovation increases. In this editorial, we argue that a value assessment must pay attention to the social processes shaping the innovation's adoption and use, in particular, to the promises of the technology and actual practices with it. Promises and practices represent real-world value as they account for both outcomes and costs in practice. A systematic exploration of these loci of value, using insights from constructive technology assessment, enables us to make well-informed decisions on complex medical technologies.