Originally Published MX September/October 2005
BUSINESS PLANNING & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Cost-Effectiveness at AHRQ|
Return
to Article: |
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a sister agency to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, has a mission to pursue cost-effectiveness research. In examining what works and does not work in healthcare, AHRQ translates research findings into better patient care and provides policymakers and other healthcare industry leaders with information needed to make critical healthcare decisions.
Under its Evidence-Based Practice Centers (EPC) Program, AHRQ awards five-year contracts to institutions in the United States and Canada that will serve as EPCs. The EPCs review all relevant scientific literature on clinical, behavioral, and organizational and financing topics in order to produce evidence reports and technology assessments. These reports are used to support the development of coverage decisions, quality measures, educational materials and tools, guidelines, and research agendas. The EPCs also conduct research on the methodology of systematic reviews.
AHRQ is already supporting cost-effectiveness research in selected healthcare areas, for example, population-based screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm; echocardiography and carotid imaging in the management of stroke; and colorectal cancer screening. This agency's activity will be well worth monitoring, as it may lead to a stronger push for cost-effectiveness analysis as a complement to evidence evaluation in making decisions regarding coverage.
Copyright ©2005 MX
