Case Studies

An NIH study of treatments for high blood pressure, called the ALLHAT trial, shows some of the strengths and limitations of comparative effectiveness research to improve patient care. More...

Recent Blog Posts

PIPC chairman delivers speech to specialty docs on importance of patient centered CER
July 6, 2010 |

Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) chairman, Tony Coelho, recently delivered a speech on patient centered comparative effectiveness research (CER) in front of fifty specialty doctors from around the country, among others, at the Alliance for Specialty Medicine’s (ASM) “Capitol Hill Advocacy Conference.” The conference took place just a day before the specialty doctors met w

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Tony Coelho's recent speech on patient centered CER
June 24, 2010 |

Below: PIPC Chairman Tony Coelho's recent speech on patient centered CER. The speech was delivered on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at the Alliance for Specialty Medicine's “Capitol Hill Advocacy Conference,” in Washington, D.C.

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Lack of support for "evidence-based health care"— don't blame the patient
June 10, 2010 |

A new Health Affairs article concludes, based on focus groups and interviews, that "consumers will revolt if evidence-based efforts are perceived as rationing or as a way to deny them needed treatment."

You don't need to look any further than public reaction to the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force's updated recommendations on mammography screening to see the proof of this.
 
How should policy-makers react? Should they conclude that consumers, and even more so, patients, cannot be relied on to make evidence-based decisions, and therefore these decisions need to be made for them? Or should they conclude that evidence-based models of medical care and health delivery need to be carefully constructed so they have the trust and support of patients and consumers?

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Progress at Work: The Value of Innovation

Progress to Improve Patient Care

Over the past few decades, significant advances in the U.S. health care system have helped people live longer and better lives. In fact, both mortality and disability rates have fallen consistently since the 1970s. And major strides have been made against serious diseases and chronic conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, mental health conditions, and rare diseases, just to name a few. Medical advances are making a major contribution to the progress being made.

It is important for proposals on comparative effectiveness research to recognize the value of medical innovation to patients and the health system, and to take approaches that support continued medical progress.

Breat Cancer

Breast cancer, the leading cancer among women of all races in the United States, has been the subject of intense research and successful treatment advances in recent decades. Today, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is nearly 90 percent, compared to 75 percent 35 years ago. Read More.

HIV/ AIDS

The HIV virus was first identified in the United States in 1981 and since that time has claimed the lives of more than half a million people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one million people in the United States are living with HIV and AIDS today. Incidence of HIV peaked in the 1980s; however AIDS cases have declined dramatically, particularly due to the introduction of antiretroviral drugs in 1996. In fact, the U.S. AIDS death rate has fallen 70 percent due to further advancements in medicine and combination therapies. Read More

Hypertension

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death among both men and women in the United States with nearly 2,500 deaths occurring daily. One of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease is hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure. Hypertension means that the pressure on the arteries is elevated; therefore the heart must work harder to pump blood to the body, which contributes to the hardening of the arteries and the development of heart failure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1 of 3 American adults has hypertension. Read More.