Legislation to change US agency's responsibilities:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The US House of Representatives has re-authorised the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research for the next five years, changed its name to the Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ) and some of its responsibilities. Under the House bill, the agency would be freed from the task of providing guidelines and standards of care. Instead it would support research on the outcomes, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of healthcare practices and technologies, conduct or sponsor technology assessments and make public its assessment methodologies. The new AHRQ would be required to work with the Library of Medicine and the private sector to develop an electronic clearinghouse of technology assessments. With the advice of the FDA, it would also fund programmes to increase public awareness of new uses and improvements in drugs, biological products and devices.