Excerpt

The Coverage and Analysis Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requested this technology assessment from the Technology Assessment Program (TAP) at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ assigned this report to the McMaster University Evidence-based Practice Center (MU-EPC) (Contract Number: HHSA 290-2007-10060I). The primary goals of the assessment were to examine the performance of diagnostic tests for preclinical or clinically significant secondary lymphedema, as well as to assess conservative, nonpharmacological, and nonsurgical treatments for secondary lymphedema.

Contents

• Peer Reviewers
• Acknowledgments
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • Scope and Purposes of the Technology Assessment
  • Background
• 2. Methods
  • Literature Search Strategy
  • Study Selection and Reporting
• 3. Results
  • Literature Review and Screening
  • Quality Assessment
  • Diagnosis Studies
  • Treatment Studies
• 4. Discussion
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
  • Non English Language Studies
  • Conclusions
  • Recommendations for Future Research
• References
• Appendix A Detailed Lymphedema Search Strategies
• Appendix B Data Extraction Forms
• Appendix C Excluded Studies

This report is based on research conducted by the McMaster University Evidence-based Practice Center under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract HHSA 290 2007 10060 I). The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the author(s) who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. No statement in this article should be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The information in this report is intended to help health care decision-makers; patients and clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers, make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients.

This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for development of clinical practice guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied.

None of the investigators has any affiliations or financial involvement related to the material presented in this report.