1. The Value of Comparative Effectiveness
Alliance for Health Reform
Congressional Briefing
Karen Ignagni
America’s Health Insurance Plans
April 04, 2008

2. Why Do We Need an Entity for Comparative Effectiveness Now?
Explosion of New Technology
Uncertainty About Safety and Effectiveness
Growing Concern About Impact of Cost of Technology on Families, Employers and Government
Need for Organized, Robust and Reliable Assessment

3. What Problems Can Be Addressed?
Need for “Trusted Source” of Objective Information
Insufficient Information in Practitioners’ Hands
Insufficient Information in Consumer and Purchasers’ Hands
Inability to Transition to More Effective and Efficient Practice

4. How Should Comparative Effectiveness Be Done?
Form
Independent Body
Public/Private Entity
Ability to Draw Upon Work of Existing Entities
Function
Set Priorities
Commission Studies/Research
Validate Results
Disseminate Results to Clinicians and Consumers

5. What is the Value of Comparative Effectiveness?
Targets Specific Populations
Rewards Effectiveness and Value
Builds on Existing Infrastructure
Informs Benefit Design

6. What’s Necessary Beyond Comparative Effectiveness for a National Quality Strategy?
Better Funding of Quality Enterprise
A Process to Set a National Research Agenda to Identify Gaps in Evidence and Safety
An Entity to Coordinate the Dissemination of Clinical Best Practices
A Process that is Sufficient to Perform Initial Review
of Devices
Uniform Performance Measurement, Data Aggregation and Dissemination
Malpractice Reform