Press Releases
September 23, 2010
Conrad Applauds Development of Research Institute to Improve Patient Health Outcomes
Senator Proposed Center to Help Doctors / Patients Determine Effective Treatments
Washington - Senator Kent Conrad today applauded the appointment of the Board of Governors for a new independent institute created to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of drugs and medical devices in an effort to help doctors and patients determines the most effective treatment approach.
Senator Conrad, who is Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, joined Senator Max Baucus of Montana, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, in writing the bill that established the institute. Their bill was later incorporated in the broader health care reform legislation adopted earlier this year.
“This research institute is a critical component in health care reform,” Senator Conrad said. “With research, patients and their doctors can make better, more-informed health care decisions. In many cases, this research will lead to improved health outcomes, while at the same time reducing costs."
The Baucus-Conrad Comparative Effectiveness Research Act of 2009 became part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that was passed into law in March. The legislation established the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to gather and produce evidence on what works best for different patient populations when it comes to how diseases, disorders, and other health conditions are treated.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office, which was given the responsibility of selecting the Institute’s board members, has now released the names of the 19 individuals it has chosen to serve on the organization’s Board of Governors. The Directors of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Institutes of Health will also serve on the Board of Governors.
The Institute will function as a private, nonprofit corporation that will research and compare health outcomes and the clinical effectiveness of two or more medical treatments and services, such as surgical procedures, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and care management protocols. The Board of Governors will set national research priorities and contract with public and private organizations to conduct the research.
