IOM Issues Comparative Effectiveness Standards Reports
The Institute of Medicine has issued two reports mandated by the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act that are designed to enhance the quality and reliability of clinical practice guidelines and systematic reviews of the evidence base for health care services. In “Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust,” the IOM recommends eight standards intended to ensure the objective, transparent development of trustworthy clinical practice guidelines. In “Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic Reviews,” the IOM recommends 21 standards to ensure scientifically-valid, high-quality systematic reviews of the comparative effectiveness of medical or surgical interventions. The goal of the reports is to improve health quality and outcomes by improving the information available on which to base health-related decisions.
