Patients on the panel
Tuesday, March 17 2009
The Institute of Medicine is convening a panel to study how best to spend the $1 billion dollars set aside for comparative effectiveness research (CER) in the stimulus package. If you have a few minutes, you might read Merrill’s post on the IOM panel, then this letter from CSPI and others, then go here to comment on the panel.
If you have more time, you might complete an IOM questionnaire on priorities – where you can identify up to three things you think should be a priority in effectiveness research. Do you have an idea about what works and what doesn’t, and what needs more research? Here’s chance to tell the IOM all about it. Among other things, I asked for research on patient empowerment:
Are empowered patients more effective health-care consumers?
The doctor-patient relationship has long been that of superior and subordinate; patients are often silent partners (at best!) in their care. New tools and knowledge help to empower patients, with the potential to make them full and active partners in their own treatment – but little research exists as to whether this improves the health of those patients, and physicians have been resisted any change in their authority. This study would implement a patient-empowerment program for chronic disease patients, in cooperation with their physicians, to determine whether more active participation in care leads to better outcomes.
And if you have a lot of time – say, all Friday – you can participate in the panel itself. You can register on the same page as the questionnaire, to be there in person or via web or telephone.
One Ping