224807 Comparative effectiveness research – How effective is it for vulnerable populations?

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Heather McCabe, JD, MSW , Hall Center for Law and Health, Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN
Comparative effectiveness research has received much attention, and money, in the stimulus package of 2009. The idea of using studies to determine the most effective drug or device seems a quite effective form of health care reform, but when studies are done without ensuring participation of persons with disabilities or other groups which might be disproportionately impacted, what effect should this have on policy? The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), which represents over 120 organizations representing persons with disabilities and their families, has expressed support for the idea of CER. While this organization has supported CER, the question remains how to best utilize this process to the advantage of those who might be underrepresented in clinical trials or utilize multiple treatments at one time. This talk examines different possibilities such as: prohibiting results from being utilized by payment companies as the primary reason to decline coverage, marketing results to the public rather than payers, consideration of special populations when using double blind studies as “gold standard”, among others. A discussion of the ethics and possible regulatory solutions will be included.

Learning Areas:
Ethics, professional and legal requirements
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Define comparative effectiveness research. Discuss possible implications for vulnerable populations. Analyze possible policy options.

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Disability Policy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have participated in research and writing on the content area.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.