The CMTP workshop will address ways to improve the quality of comparative effectiveness research in diabetes. CMTP will incorporate ideas discussed at the workshop in an effectiveness guidance document.

10/16/2012 – Center for Medical Technology Policy Convenes Workshop on Comparative Effectiveness Research in Diabetes

Baltimore, MD (Oct 16)–The Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMTP) is convening a workshop later today on Diabetes Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER)to address evidence gaps, study design issues, and the infrastructure needed to improve the quality of comparative effectiveness research in diabetes. Participants will discuss which subpopulations should be targeted for prevention efforts, how to design studies to compare alternative treatment options, which patient-relevant outcomes are most important to measure, and how to determine which programs are most effective at preventing and treating diabetes. The planning committee for the workshop was chaired by Dr. Fred Brancati, Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

“Type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the US and abroad, driven by trends in obesity and physical inactivity that show no signs of abating,” said Dr. Brancati. “The good news is that we have more drugs, devices, and prevention strategies available to fight the epidemic than ever before. The bad news is that we generally lack data on how these tools compare in long-term clinical effectiveness and cost, so physicians, patients, and policy makers often have to rely more on educated guesses than they’d like to. If done right, Comparative Effectiveness Research can provide a more scientific basis for making strategic decisions about diabetes care and prevention in people and populations.”

“The ADA is committed to improving the lives of those affected by diabetes,” said Dr. Bob Ratner, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of the American Diabetes Association, whose organization cosponsored the conference. “Our development of treatment guidelines requires the availability of high quality research examining the risks and benefits of various therapies; CER is an obvious methodology to support our patient-centered approach to treatment recommendations. More and better data are still required to improve patient outcomes.”

CMTP also announced today that it will use workshop recommendations to initiate an effectiveness guidance document (EGD) on diabetes-related topics identified during the workshop. EGDs provide researchers with specific recommendations and methodological standards on the design of prospective clinical studies intended to inform decisions by patients, clinicians and payers.

“The development of methodological standards in diabetes CER will help reduce the uncertainty currently faced by the life sciences industry and academic researchers regarding the type of evidence needed by patients, clinicians and payers,” said Dr. Sean Tunis, President and CEO of CMTP. “We look forward to undertaking this important initiative in 2013.”

The Center for Medical Technology Policy is a non-profit organization based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Contact: Julie Simmons