About CERTs
Annual Report Year 2
Preface | Steering Committee Letter | Introduction | Focus on the Centers | Focus on the Program | Conclusion | CERTs Organization | Glossary
Introduction
The Centers for Education & Research on Therapeutics (CERTs), administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), aim to become a trusted national resource for people seeking information about medical products. As our name implies, we do this through 1) research and 2) education. In other words, first we develop knowledge, then we share it with people who can use it to manage risk, improve practice, and inform policies.
Our 98 projects to date have involved some of the most exciting areas of medical research and education today, but they all can be placed along the broader spectra of research and educational efforts.
On one end of the research spectrum, we have purely descriptive research. "How many teenagers in the U.S. have Type 2 diabetes?" is a question answered by descriptive research. Epidemiology is the predominant discipline involved in this type of research.
Then, there is causal research. As you might expect, this type of research studies possible cause-and-effect relationships. Examples include studying the relation between giving a drug and having a reaction, having a particular gene and being resistant to a therapy, or changing insurance coverage and improving the management of a condition. The dynamic fields of clinical pharmacology, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacoeconomics represent this type of research.
Next we have interventional research. This is the type with which most people may be familiar. Here, prescription or over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, diagnostic tests, or other "interventions" are tested against each other or a placebo, to see whether they are comparable or whether one is better (or worse) than the other.
Finally, there is applied research, in which findings are evaluated when used in actual practice situations. This represents a logical progression from the other types.
Did You Know?
CERTs researchers analyze data from more than 20 unique sources as they work to develop knowledge about therapies and how best to use them. Representing more than 50 million people, these data sources shed light on how therapies are used in practice and highlight opportunities for improvement.
To tie these together in an example, let's say that we notice that medication errors have increased over the past 10 years (descriptive research). Further study shows that medication errors can be reduced with the use of certain computer software (causal research). We go on to compare various computerized drug-prescribing tools (interventional research). Finally, we "translate" or apply the results into recommendations for individual situations and settings, which then are tested. Similarly, our educational efforts also have reflected a spectrum of efforts, including teaching modules, seminars, fellowship programs, Internet-based materials, and one-on-one consultations for caregivers, policy-makers, regulators, and patients.
We recognize that people learn differently, but the more personalized and accessible the information is, the sooner people will use it to improve health. We aim to provide material in multiple ways, for multiple audiences. In this report, we highlight just a few of the CERTs research and educational projects completed over the past year, among the seven centers and by the program as a whole.