NEHI, an independent nonprofit national network for health innovation, Thursday proposed a national strategy for disseminating comparative effectiveness research (CER) findings that would be led by the newly created Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).

NEHI also recommends that the CER challenge extend to other federal agencies administering programs to enhance the healthcare system's capabilities to utilize evidence, such as the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, which is charged with implementing federal support for the deployment of electronic medical records and clinical data infrastructure.

[See also: Comparative effectiveness research to get a government boost.]

NEHI's proposal comes as calls for repealing or de-funding parts of the health reform law are growing in Congress, including at least one bill to eliminate PCORI altogether. PCORI's independent status and broad convening authority make it well positioned to take the lead in elevating dissemination to a national priority, NEHI says.

See also: Consumers Union highlights 9 life-saving provisions in healthcare reform law.]

NEHI's proposal, contained in a white paper From Evidence to Practice: A National Strategy for CER Dissemination, recommends that PCORI should:

• Become a highly visible national champion for CER dissemination
• Build diverse partnerships with national organizations such as learning health care centers and medical societies
• Reinforce public understanding of CER and build credibility by supporting the development of personalized medicine and avoiding the endorsement of research findings.
• Link CER to major health conditions affecting broad cross-sections of the population such as diabetes, heart disease and depression.

The rancorous national debate over health reform has created public skepticism over the mission and value of comparative effectiveness research, NEHI officials say. But only through the effective dissemination of CER results can the program achieve its mission of finding more effective ways to treat illness and deliver care.
 
"The goal of comparative effectiveness research is to generate a new wave of practical medical evidence," said NEHI Executive Director Valerie Fleishman. "Getting the evidence to doctors and patients is key to improving healthcare - and PCORI is best positioned to do that." 
 
The white paper is the latest addition to NEHI's research portfolio on CER, which began in 2008.

To develop these recommendations, NEHI interviewed two dozen national experts on evidence-based medicine and CER, and in 2010 convened high-level experts for a roundtable in Washington, D.C. In April, NEHI will be hosting another roundtable with national thought leaders to discuss the white paper recommendations and build consensus around implementing a national CER dissemination strategy.