Decision making in Brazil and emerging technologies: the case of 18F-FDG

The article recalls the history of the development of Fluor FDG in Brazil. Important facts that impacted this development and how this technology evolved considering a time span of more then ten years, starting from 1996 is presented in this paper. Five decisions, taken between 2004 and 2005, were selected and analyzed from the perspective of knowledge that a key decision maker has developed around the main elements of a decision - problem, objectives, alternatives, consequences, risks approach and linked decisions. Contextual aspects that influenced these decisions, such as the evolution of the technology efficiency, installation of new equipment in hospitals and the consequences associated with these decisions, such as daily production capacity, distance service and numbers of attended clients are part of this study. In conclusion, this case shows that experienced decision makers can make quality decisions when they are equipped with the appropriate information, align the relevant decisions taken over time, know how to use the right tactics at the right time and with all participants in decision making. Experienced decision makers identify opportunities where there seems to be problems, review the current strategies and visualize new strategies, prepare themselves adequately to deal with the uncertainties. (author)