In This Week’s Issue:
1. Letter to VA: Tell the VA to Rely on Veterans to Define Health Value - not QALYs! Click here to read the letter.
2. #Patients4PCORI: Advocating to Advance Patient Centered Outcomes Research, click here to read the blog.
3. Op-Ed: Government should not interfere with patient-physician decision making, click here to read the article.
4. Webinar: Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury, click here to watch the webinars.
5. AAP News: Emergency medical services take on larger role to improve community health, click here to read the article
6. CMS Releases RFI on New Direction for CMMI - Comments Due November 20! See details below.
7. Epilepsy Foundation: 2017-2018 AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability, click here to apply.
8. Upcoming Events and Webinars, see details below
9. Medical Journal Articles, see details below.
10. AHRQ Effective Program Updates, see details below.
1. Letter to VA: Tell the VA to Rely on Veterans to Define Health Value - not QALYs! Click here to read the letter.
2. #Patients4PCORI: Advocating to Advance Patient Centered Outcomes Research, click here to read the blog.
3. Op-Ed: Government should not interfere with patient-physician decision making, click here to read the article.
4. Webinar: Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury, click here to watch the webinars.
5. AAP News: Emergency medical services take on larger role to improve community health, click here to read the article
6. CMS Releases RFI on New Direction for CMMI - Comments Due November 20! See details below.
7. Epilepsy Foundation: 2017-2018 AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability, click here to apply.
8. Upcoming Events and Webinars, see details below
9. Medical Journal Articles, see details below.
10. AHRQ Effective Program Updates, see details below.
1. Letter to VA: Tell VA to Rely on Veterans to Define Health Value - not QALYs!
Over 40 representatives of veterans, patients and people with disabilities wrote to VA Secretary Shulkin regarding their concerns about the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review’s (ICER) agreement to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pharmacy Benefits Management Services office (PBM) to support its use of ICER drug assessment reports. In the letter, the signers urged the VA to adopt a model that puts patients first. The letter points out that ICER utilizes a quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY) metric as the basis for its value assessments that is very controversial for its potentially discriminatory impact on people with disabilities and serious chronic conditions. In 1992, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services determined the use of QALYs to determine Oregon’s prioritized list of services in Medicaid to be discriminatory. The letter stated, "Alternatively, we strongly support an infrastructure for our engagement to ensure that the health system delivers value to veterans and their caregivers, with the goal of achieving outcomes that matter to them. Veterans with disabilities and serious chronic conditions want to have a strong role in coverage and formulary decisions to ensure that coverage reflects the real world needs of veterans. We want to help the VA be a model for putting patients first.” Read the letter here.
2. #Patients4PCORI: Advocating to Advance Patient Centered Outcomes Research
Tonya Saffer blogs about her experience on Capitol Hill advocating for PCORI reauthorization. “Last week, I had the honor of walking the halls of Congress to advocate for continued patient-centered outcomes research. My companion for the day was Kimerly Coshow from the mountains in Blue Ridge, Georgia who is living with Parkinson’s. We were part of an effort to draw Congress’s attention on the need to reauthorize funding for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Kim had flown to Washington, DC to advocate and attend PCORI’s 4th annual conference.”Click here to read the blog.
3. Op-Ed: Government should not interfere with patient-physician decision making
Former Rep. Dr. Philip Gingrey (R-GA) writes about the benefits of PCORI funded research in The Hill. “...Former rep. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) played an instrumental role in the final version of the CER and PCORI related provisions in the enacted ACA; he deftly crafted a compromise to ensure that the findings would be available to inform clinical decision-making and could not be used for government insurance coverage and payment policies. More than seven years later, with an impressive body of research, PCORI is advancing knowledge and disseminating that information to the benefit of patients, physicians1 and the health care system. This work is being done with input from all health care stakeholders and importantly, the results are not being put forth in an autocratic manner.” Click here to read the article.
4. Webinar: Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury
Dr. Jennifer Bogner hosted three webinar discussing the best rehabilitation practices for traumatic brain injuries. “The Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation (OVC) contracted with BIAA to host three webinars to disseminate findings from the study, Comparative Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury, funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Dr. Jennifer Bogner delivered the presentation, Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury: What Works Best for Whom?, to 419 attendees (people/groups).” Click here to watch the webinars.
5. AAP News: Emergency medical services take on larger role to improve community health
Toni Gross highlights the patient-centered qualities of emergency medical services in AAP News. “As our nation’s health care system evolves, with proposed changes to health care finance infrastructure systems, EMS has been identified as being in a position to support community health care models that are patient-centered, value-driven and outcomes-based. Located at the intersection of medical care, public health and public safety, EMS is uniquely positioned to support the Triple Aim of improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction); improving the health of populations; and reducing the per capita cost of health care.” Click here to read the article.
6. CMS Releases RFI on New Direction for CMMI - Comments Due November 20!
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking insights on a new direction to promote patient-centered care and test market-driven reforms that empower beneficiaries as consumers, provide price transparency, increase choices and competition to drive quality, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. In response, the Chairman Tony Coelho of the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) applauded CMS and Administrator Verma for making strong statements in support of patients and patient-centered care, and releasing an RFI to set a new direction for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation that supports patients, caregivers and people with disabilities. PIPC has long advocated for CMMI to engage patients and people with disabilities early in the development of patient-centered demonstrations that have the potential to improve patient outcomes while lowering costs. As part of the effort to move CMMI in a new direction, Chairman Coelho urges CMMI to establish meaningful mechanisms for patients and people with disabilities to engage in the development of these models. He also urges CMS to develop meaningful patient-centeredness criteria that would enable CMMI and the public to determine whether APMs are truly putting patients first. PIPC is reviewing the RFI in more detail and looks forward to working with CMMI on a new direction that puts patients at the center. Additional information on PIPC’s recommendations for patient engagement and patient-centeredness at CMMI can be found here. Click here to view the RFI. Comments are due November 20, 2017.
7. Epilepsy Foundation: 2017-2018 AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
The American Association on Health and Disability’s Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability is currently accepting applications. The scholarship honors Frederick J. Krause, a lifelong advocate for those with disabilities who passed away in 2014. Beginning with his role as a special education teacher, Mr. Krause’s distinguished career in advocacy included service in the federal government and the cofounding of the American Association on Health and Disability. The scholarship pays tribute to Mr. Krause by awarding scholarships to students with disabilities that are pursuing an education on disability-related topics. Click here to apply. Deadline: November 15, 2017.
8. Upcoming Events and Webinars
PCORnet Best Practice Sharing Session – PCORnet Commons Tools for Electronic Consent Workgroup Webinar Series: Part 2. Best Practices
November 13, 2017
Click here for details.
NPC @ 13th Annual Personalized Medicine Conference
November 14-16, 2017
Click here for details.
PCORI Online Application Submission Webinar for Cycle 2 2017 Targeted PFAs
November 15, 2017
Click here for details.
Webinar: ”Real-World Evidence: Proven Results in Pressure Injury Prevention”
November 16, 2017
Click here for details.
Webinar: Real World Evidence Across the Product Life Cycle: Regulatory and Payer Landscape
November 17, 2017
Click here for details.
PCORI Board of Governors Meeting
November 21, 2017
Click here for details.
ECRI Institute's 24th Annual Conference
November 28-29, 2017
Click here for details.
Patient and Stakeholder Engagement in Research: Engagement Challenges, Strategies and Resources
December 5, 2017
Click here for details.
The Next Wave in Adaptive Biomedical Innovation: Advancing Platform Trials into End-to-End Rapid Learning Systems
December 12-13, 2017
Click here for details.
9. Medical Journal Articles
Patient Value: Perspectives from the Advocacy Community, click here to view.
The Added Value of Integrate-HTA Guidance in the Work Processes of Health Technology Assessment Agencies, click here to view.
Practicalities Of Using Real-World Evidence (RWE) In Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER): Learnings From Imi-Getreal, click here to view.
The Role of Condition-Specific Preference-Based Measures in Health Technology Assessment, click here to view.
Hospital Cost Impact of Orbital Atherectomy with Angioplasty for Critical Limb Ischemia Treatment: A Modeling Approach, click here to view.
Real-World Evidence: Useful in the Real World of US Payer Decision Making? How? When? And What Studies? Click here to view.
Targeted Identification of Adverse Events in Coronary Artery Disease Patients Based on Patient-Reported Outcomes, click here to view.
Use of Patient-Reported Outcomes and Satisfaction for Quality Assessments, click here to view.
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Cancer Care — Hearing the Patient Voice at Greater Volume, click here to view.
10. AHRQ Effective Program Updates
Management of Insomnia Disorder - Consumer and Clinician Summaries, click here to view
Harms of First-Line Depression Treatment in Older Adults, click here to view.
Management of Renal Masses and Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma: Current State of the Evidence - Clinician Summary, click here to view.
Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Patients: A Systematic Review Update, click here to view.
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Major Orthopedic Surgery: Systematic Review Update, click here to view.
Nonsurgical Treatments for Urinary Incontinence in Adult Women: A Systematic Review Update -- Research Protocol, click here to view.
Drug Therapy for Early Rheumatoid Arthritis in Adults – An Update -- Research Protocol, click here to view.
Psychological and Pharmacological Treatments for Adults with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review Update -- Research Protocol, click here to view
Tympanostomy Tubes in Children with Otitis Media -- Final Report, click here to view
Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee: An Update Review -- Final Report, click here to view.
Assessment Tools for Palliative Care -- Final Report, click here to view.
Noninvasive, Nonpharmacological Treatment for Chronic Pain, click here to view.
The Role of Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Asthma, click here to view
Over 40 representatives of veterans, patients and people with disabilities wrote to VA Secretary Shulkin regarding their concerns about the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review’s (ICER) agreement to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pharmacy Benefits Management Services office (PBM) to support its use of ICER drug assessment reports. In the letter, the signers urged the VA to adopt a model that puts patients first. The letter points out that ICER utilizes a quality-adjusted-life-year (QALY) metric as the basis for its value assessments that is very controversial for its potentially discriminatory impact on people with disabilities and serious chronic conditions. In 1992, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services determined the use of QALYs to determine Oregon’s prioritized list of services in Medicaid to be discriminatory. The letter stated, "Alternatively, we strongly support an infrastructure for our engagement to ensure that the health system delivers value to veterans and their caregivers, with the goal of achieving outcomes that matter to them. Veterans with disabilities and serious chronic conditions want to have a strong role in coverage and formulary decisions to ensure that coverage reflects the real world needs of veterans. We want to help the VA be a model for putting patients first.” Read the letter here.
2. #Patients4PCORI: Advocating to Advance Patient Centered Outcomes Research
Tonya Saffer blogs about her experience on Capitol Hill advocating for PCORI reauthorization. “Last week, I had the honor of walking the halls of Congress to advocate for continued patient-centered outcomes research. My companion for the day was Kimerly Coshow from the mountains in Blue Ridge, Georgia who is living with Parkinson’s. We were part of an effort to draw Congress’s attention on the need to reauthorize funding for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Kim had flown to Washington, DC to advocate and attend PCORI’s 4th annual conference.”Click here to read the blog.
3. Op-Ed: Government should not interfere with patient-physician decision making
Former Rep. Dr. Philip Gingrey (R-GA) writes about the benefits of PCORI funded research in The Hill. “...Former rep. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) played an instrumental role in the final version of the CER and PCORI related provisions in the enacted ACA; he deftly crafted a compromise to ensure that the findings would be available to inform clinical decision-making and could not be used for government insurance coverage and payment policies. More than seven years later, with an impressive body of research, PCORI is advancing knowledge and disseminating that information to the benefit of patients, physicians1 and the health care system. This work is being done with input from all health care stakeholders and importantly, the results are not being put forth in an autocratic manner.” Click here to read the article.
4. Webinar: Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury
Dr. Jennifer Bogner hosted three webinar discussing the best rehabilitation practices for traumatic brain injuries. “The Ohio Valley Center for Brain Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation (OVC) contracted with BIAA to host three webinars to disseminate findings from the study, Comparative Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury, funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Dr. Jennifer Bogner delivered the presentation, Rehabilitation Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury: What Works Best for Whom?, to 419 attendees (people/groups).” Click here to watch the webinars.
5. AAP News: Emergency medical services take on larger role to improve community health
Toni Gross highlights the patient-centered qualities of emergency medical services in AAP News. “As our nation’s health care system evolves, with proposed changes to health care finance infrastructure systems, EMS has been identified as being in a position to support community health care models that are patient-centered, value-driven and outcomes-based. Located at the intersection of medical care, public health and public safety, EMS is uniquely positioned to support the Triple Aim of improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction); improving the health of populations; and reducing the per capita cost of health care.” Click here to read the article.
6. CMS Releases RFI on New Direction for CMMI - Comments Due November 20!
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking insights on a new direction to promote patient-centered care and test market-driven reforms that empower beneficiaries as consumers, provide price transparency, increase choices and competition to drive quality, reduce costs, and improve outcomes. In response, the Chairman Tony Coelho of the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) applauded CMS and Administrator Verma for making strong statements in support of patients and patient-centered care, and releasing an RFI to set a new direction for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation that supports patients, caregivers and people with disabilities. PIPC has long advocated for CMMI to engage patients and people with disabilities early in the development of patient-centered demonstrations that have the potential to improve patient outcomes while lowering costs. As part of the effort to move CMMI in a new direction, Chairman Coelho urges CMMI to establish meaningful mechanisms for patients and people with disabilities to engage in the development of these models. He also urges CMS to develop meaningful patient-centeredness criteria that would enable CMMI and the public to determine whether APMs are truly putting patients first. PIPC is reviewing the RFI in more detail and looks forward to working with CMMI on a new direction that puts patients at the center. Additional information on PIPC’s recommendations for patient engagement and patient-centeredness at CMMI can be found here. Click here to view the RFI. Comments are due November 20, 2017.
7. Epilepsy Foundation: 2017-2018 AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
The American Association on Health and Disability’s Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability is currently accepting applications. The scholarship honors Frederick J. Krause, a lifelong advocate for those with disabilities who passed away in 2014. Beginning with his role as a special education teacher, Mr. Krause’s distinguished career in advocacy included service in the federal government and the cofounding of the American Association on Health and Disability. The scholarship pays tribute to Mr. Krause by awarding scholarships to students with disabilities that are pursuing an education on disability-related topics. Click here to apply. Deadline: November 15, 2017.
8. Upcoming Events and Webinars
PCORnet Best Practice Sharing Session – PCORnet Commons Tools for Electronic Consent Workgroup Webinar Series: Part 2. Best Practices
November 13, 2017
Click here for details.
NPC @ 13th Annual Personalized Medicine Conference
November 14-16, 2017
Click here for details.
PCORI Online Application Submission Webinar for Cycle 2 2017 Targeted PFAs
November 15, 2017
Click here for details.
Webinar: ”Real-World Evidence: Proven Results in Pressure Injury Prevention”
November 16, 2017
Click here for details.
Webinar: Real World Evidence Across the Product Life Cycle: Regulatory and Payer Landscape
November 17, 2017
Click here for details.
PCORI Board of Governors Meeting
November 21, 2017
Click here for details.
ECRI Institute's 24th Annual Conference
November 28-29, 2017
Click here for details.
Patient and Stakeholder Engagement in Research: Engagement Challenges, Strategies and Resources
December 5, 2017
Click here for details.
The Next Wave in Adaptive Biomedical Innovation: Advancing Platform Trials into End-to-End Rapid Learning Systems
December 12-13, 2017
Click here for details.
9. Medical Journal Articles
Patient Value: Perspectives from the Advocacy Community, click here to view.
The Added Value of Integrate-HTA Guidance in the Work Processes of Health Technology Assessment Agencies, click here to view.
Practicalities Of Using Real-World Evidence (RWE) In Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER): Learnings From Imi-Getreal, click here to view.
The Role of Condition-Specific Preference-Based Measures in Health Technology Assessment, click here to view.
Hospital Cost Impact of Orbital Atherectomy with Angioplasty for Critical Limb Ischemia Treatment: A Modeling Approach, click here to view.
Real-World Evidence: Useful in the Real World of US Payer Decision Making? How? When? And What Studies? Click here to view.
Targeted Identification of Adverse Events in Coronary Artery Disease Patients Based on Patient-Reported Outcomes, click here to view.
Use of Patient-Reported Outcomes and Satisfaction for Quality Assessments, click here to view.
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Cancer Care — Hearing the Patient Voice at Greater Volume, click here to view.
10. AHRQ Effective Program Updates
Management of Insomnia Disorder - Consumer and Clinician Summaries, click here to view
Harms of First-Line Depression Treatment in Older Adults, click here to view.
Management of Renal Masses and Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma: Current State of the Evidence - Clinician Summary, click here to view.
Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation Patients: A Systematic Review Update, click here to view.
Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Major Orthopedic Surgery: Systematic Review Update, click here to view.
Nonsurgical Treatments for Urinary Incontinence in Adult Women: A Systematic Review Update -- Research Protocol, click here to view.
Drug Therapy for Early Rheumatoid Arthritis in Adults – An Update -- Research Protocol, click here to view.
Psychological and Pharmacological Treatments for Adults with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A Systematic Review Update -- Research Protocol, click here to view
Tympanostomy Tubes in Children with Otitis Media -- Final Report, click here to view
Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee: An Update Review -- Final Report, click here to view.
Assessment Tools for Palliative Care -- Final Report, click here to view.
Noninvasive, Nonpharmacological Treatment for Chronic Pain, click here to view.
The Role of Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Asthma, click here to view