New program compares medical treatments

AORN Journal, Nov, 2005

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has launched a new program to help clinicians and patients determine which medications and other medical treatments are most effective for certain health conditions, according to a Sept 29, 2005, news release from the AHRQ. The Effective Health Care Program is a $15 million, three-part program that incorporates 13 new research centers and a center dedicated to communicating findings. Program researchers will help provide clinicians and patients with better information for making treatment decisions by reviewing and synthesizing published and unpublished scientific studies and identifying important issues where existing evidence is insufficient.

The program includes the following three components.

* Developing comparative effectiveness reports--Researchers at an existing network of 13 evidence-based practice centers will focus on comparing the relative effectiveness of different treatments, including medications, as well as identifying gaps in knowledge where new research is needed.

* Implementing a network of research centers--A new network of 13 Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness research centers (ie, DECIDE centers) will carry out accelerated studies, including research aimed at filling knowledge gaps about treatment effectiveness. The centers will use de-identified data available through insurers, health plans, and other partner organizations to answer questions about the use, benefits, and risks of medications and other therapies. Collectively, the DECIDE centers will have access to de-identified medical data for millions of patients, including Medicare's 42 million beneficiaries.

* Making findings clear for different audiences--A new Clinical Decisions and Communications Science Center will focus on improving communication of findings to a variety of audiences, including consumers, clinicians, payers, and health care policy makers. The center will translate findings in ways appropriate for the needs of different stakeholders and will conduct its own program of research into effective communication of research findings in order to improve usability and rapid incorporation of findings into medical practice.

AHRQ Launches New "Effective Health Care Program" to Compare Medical Treatments and Help Put Proven Treatments into Practice (news release, Rockville, Md: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Sept 29, 2005).