Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Effective Health Care Program?
- Why is it important to make evidence of effectiveness part of everyday health care?
- What is MMA 1013?
- What are the goals of MMA Section 1013?
- How will AHRQ achieve the MMA Section 1013 goals?
- What conditions will be addressed?
- How can the public get involved?
- How can the public ask questions about the program?
What is the Effective Health Care Program?
The Effective Health Care Program focuses on the comparative effectiveness of different treatments and clinical practices, as authorized in MMA Section 1013. The program emphasizes a transparent process with public input and uses three approaches.
- Review and synthesize published and unpublished scientific evidence. (AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) perform systematic appraisals of existing scientific evidence on topics related to the priority conditions.)
- Promote and generate new scientific evidence and analytic tools in an accelerated and practical format. (For some topics, a network of research centers capable of performing accelerated research, conduct a variety of practical studies designed to answer those questions that do not require or cannot be addressed by large rigorous randomized clinical trials.)
- Compile the findings and translate them into a variety of useful formats for stakeholders. (The John M. Eisenberg Clinical Decisions and Communications Science Center takes a systematic approach to preseningt findings in ways that are understandable and actionable for all decisionmakers. This is a critical step to making complex scientific findings understandable and usable for everyone.)
Why is it important to make evidence of effectiveness part of everyday health care?
People in the health care system are making important decisions about treatments and interventions every day whether they have information or not. In order for these decisions to be informed by the best possible scientific evidence, decisionmakers should have access to the best available information. Sometimes this information is not perfect, but even it can be helpful to people making decisions if they have it when they need it and in a form that they can understand. Our work will also help our Federal partners and private-sector policymakers make critical decisions by filling gaps in information on what works and what does not work in health care services and by identifying important areas for future research.
What is MMA 1013?
MMA 1013 is a section of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003, signed by President George W. Bush on December 8, 2003. The MMA is best known for the new prescription drug benefit and other changes to the Medicare program. However, one of the less known sections of the MMA, Section 1013, is remarkable for its focus on effectiveness and improved health outcomes. Section 1013 of MMA authorizes the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to conduct research, demonstrations, and evaluations designed to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).
What are the goals of MMA Section 1013?
The goals of MMA Section 1013 are:
- To develop valid evidence about the comparative effectiveness of different treatments and appropriate clinical approaches to difficult health problems.
- To make the information easily accessible and understandable to decisionmakers.
How will AHRQ achieve the MMA Section 1013 goals?
Achieving these goals involves reviewing and synthesizing scientific information, generating new research, and translating scientific evidence into formats that decision-makers can use. It is also important to identify issues for which existing scientific evidence is insufficient to inform decisions about health care.
What conditions will be addressed?
Through discussion with and extensive input from stakeholders, a steering committee of representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services chose 10 priority conditions to guide the initial work under Section 1013. These conditions are targeted to Medicare beneficiaries. Subsequent lists will include conditions relevant to the Medicaid and SCHIP programs.
- Arthritis and nontraumatic joint disorders (Muscle, bone, and joint conditions)
- Cancer (Cancer)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma (Breathing conditions)
- Dementia including Alzheimer's disease (Brain and nerve conditions)
- Depression and other mood disorders (Mental health)
- Diabetes mellitus (Diabetes)
- Ischemic heart disease (Heart and blood vessel conditions)
- Peptic ulcer disease and dyspepsia (Digestive system conditions)
- Pneumonia (Breathing conditions)
- Stroke and hypertension (Heart and blood vessel conditions)
How can the public get involved?
There will be continuing opportunities for public input, including listening sessions. We invite comments from the public and private sectors on our reports, as well their formats and suggestions for dissemination. AHRQ will also work closely with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and will meet regularly with a Department of Health and Human Services steering committee. Updates and news about the Effective Health Care Program can be found here. To join an e-mail list to receive regular updates on work in progress, requests for comments and suggestions, and new findings, follow the instructions on the Web site.
How can the public ask questions about the program?
Questions and comments about the program can be sent by e-mail to effectivehealthcare@ahrq.gov.
540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850