Partnership to Improve Patient Care

Patient advocacy group was instrumental in comparative effectiveness research reform, vows to stay engaged

WASHINGTON, DC – The Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) announced its 2010 Steering Committee to lead PIPC as it continues to promote and advance a patient-centered approach to comparative effectiveness research (CER).  New members to the Steering Committee include the American Association of People with Disabilities, American College of Cardiology, American Gastroenterological Association, and The AIDS Institute.  The steering committee will be primarily focused on working with the Obama Administration and Congress as they implement the CER provisions included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act recently signed into law by President Obama.

“PIPC is especially fortunate to have such a committed group of patient-advocates and healthcare providers on its steering committee,” PIPC Chairman Tony Coelho said.  “Last year PIPC worked with the Congress to include patient-centered CER in its healthcare reform legislation, now our work will be to help ensure that the CER-related components of the bill are enacted as they were envisioned.  It’s imperative for patients across the country that CER be done right. ”

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act creates an independent Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, a non-government entity that will establish research priorities, fund comparative clinical effectiveness research, and communicate results to the public. The new law also includes strong requirements for openness, transparency, and scientific integrity, as well as patient protections against misuse of research results by policymakers. 

Comparative effectiveness research evaluates and compares the implications and outcomes of health care strategies to address a particular medical condition. CER can be a valuable asset to physicians and patients by enabling them to consider available scientific evidence, along with the individual patient’s unique needs and preferences, in providing the best care for each patient. 

PIPC will work with other stakeholders in the health care community to advance patient-centered CER through the implementation of this important program in the coming months.

The 2010 PIPC Steering Committee Members
Alliance for Aging Research
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
American College of Cardiology
American Gastroenterological Association
BIO
Easter Seals
Epilepsy Foundation of America
National Alliance for Hispanic Health
National Alliance for Mental Illness
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
The AIDS Institute

About PIPC
The Partnership to Improve Patient Care was formed in November 2008 to support proposals to expand the government’s role in comparative effectiveness research that are centered on patient and provider needs; raise awareness about the value of well-designed CER; and promote the important role of continued medical innovation as part of the solution to cost and quality challenges in health care. Partnership members include a wide range of health care organizations representing patient, provider and industry advocacy groups. 

To learn more about PIPC, visit http://www.improvepatientcare.org.