Excerpt

The objective of this project is to pilot an approach for developing future research priorities and suggesting specific projects to address evidence gaps. From the results of this and comparable pilot projects conducted by other Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs), AHRQ will identify generalizable strategies and lessons learned.

The topic of this pilot project, the comparative effectiveness of treatments for localized prostate cancer, was selected because of its importance. The Minnesota EPC completed a comparative effectiveness review (CER) on this topic in 2008 for AHRQ. This pilot project amends the list of recommendations from that report and creates prioritized lists of research gaps and proposed research studies. Subsequently, management strategies for local prostate cancer were in the first quartile of the Institute of Medicine’s 100 initial priority topics for comparative effectiveness research.

Contents

• Preface
• External Inputs
• Executive Summary
  • Background
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Conclusions
• Objective
• Background
  • Burden of Illness
  • 2008 Comparative Effectiveness Review
  • Research Gaps
• Methods
  • Identifying Recently Published and Ongoing Studies
  • Role and Composition of the Technical Expert and Patient Panel
  • Process for Establishing Future Research Priorities
  • Engaging Stakeholders, Researchers, Funders
  • Handling Conflicts of Interest
• Results
  • Recently Published Studies and Ongoing Trials
  • Prioritization of Research Gaps
  • Recommended Research Studies
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• References
• Abbreviations
• Appendixes
  • Appendix A List of Recently Published and Ongoing Studies
  • Appendix B Prioritization Tools
  • Appendix C Interim List of Potential Research Studies

Acknowledgments: The research team would like to acknowledge Sharon Flaherty, MA, and Lisa Sarsany, MA, for Government contracts support and program management; Kim Della Fave and Lisa Garofalo for administrative support; and Matt Brown, MD, for internal review and comment on an initial draft.

AHRQ Contacts: Carolyn M Clancy, MD, Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Stephanie Chang, MD, MPH, Director, Evidence-based Practice Center Program, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Jean Slutsky, PA, MSPH, Director, Center for Outcomes and Evidence, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Supriya Janakiraman, MD, MPH, Project Officer, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Prepared for: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Contract No. HHSA-290-2007-10058-I. Prepared by: Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Technology Evaluation Center Evidence-based Practice Center, (BCBSA TEC EPC) Chicago, IL

Suggested citation:

Mauger Rothenberg B, Marbella A, Belinson SE, Samson DJ, Bonnell CJ, Ziegler KM, Aronson N. Future Research Needs for Comparative Effectiveness of Treatments for Localized Prostate Cancer. Future Research Needs Paper No. 4. (Prepared by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Technology Evaluation Center Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2007-10058-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 10-EHC072-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. September 2010. Available at: www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports/final.cfm.

This report is based on research conducted by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Technology Evaluation Center Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract No. 290-2007-10058-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. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The information in this report is intended to help health care researchers and funders of research make well-informed decisions in designing and funding research and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of scientific judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical research and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances.

This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for research design or funding opportunity announcements. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied.

This information does not represent and should not be construed to represent a determination or policy of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

None of the investigators has any affiliations or financial involvement that conflicts with the material presented in this report.

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