The Need to Put Patients First

Whenever we talk about comparative effectiveness research (CER) and using data to shape the direction of American healthcare, it’s always important to remind ourselves that the needs of patients must be kept foremost in mind.  Yes, discussions do need to focus on cost-efficiency and wringing unnecessary spending out of the system, but the real bottom line must be improving the healthcare system by expanding our knowledge on how to improve health outcomes.

On that note, there’s an upcoming event that should be highlighted on the calendar for those interested in CER and its potential impact on patient care.  On Monday, September 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Eastern time) at the W Hotel in Washington, DC, the National Health Council and the National Pharmaceutical Council are hosting a forum entitled “Putting Patients First ®:  Paving a Path to Useful CER.”  The focus of this event is on how CER stakeholders – including patients, providers, payers and researchers – can play a role in ensuring that the information emerging from this process is credible and useful and is communicated in an effective manner.

As the research process moves forward, this kind of stakeholder engagement is extremely important.   At HLC, we’ve met with the leadership and staff of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).  The PCORI team has a commitment to doing good work that can elevate the practice of evidence-based medicine.  Making CER relevant and valuable, though, requires the engagement of those on the front lines of healthcare delivery.  In that light, the September 30 forum is a significant stepping stone in the march forward.