We’re Speaking Out on Health Issues

NCHR scientists and health policy experts provide written and oral statements on a wide range of topics.

Here are many of the ways we have been Speaking Out on Health Policy Issues for the last few years. Whether the topic is legislation intended to cure diseases, proposed bans on BPA or other chemicals that disrupt your hormones, the importance of including women, people of color, and patients over 65 in clinical trials, or many other topics, you’ll gain a better understanding of our evidence-based analyses by reading these letters, statements, and testimony.

Here are the ways we have been Speaking out on Medical Treatments and Products, such as prescription drugs and medical devices that the FDA is considering approving, or is considering taking off the market because of serious risks. Whether the topic is Chantix, Addyi, Yaz, Essure, or medical products you’ve never heard of, you can find out more about what is known and not known about the safety and effectiveness of a wide range of products by looking through this section of our website.

NCHR Testimony at 2016 FDA Workshop on Role of Hospitals in Modernizing Evidence Generation for Device Evaluation

December 5, 2016. Hospitals are expected to play a key role in evidence generation and adverse event reporting for the National Evaluation System for Health Technology. While the collection and analysis of real-world data will be important for post-market surveillance of medical devices, the quality of information being collected and used for decision-making must be focused on making patient safety a priority.

NCHR’s View of the 21st Century Cures Act

December 5, 2016. Passing a complicated health bill in the rush of a lame-duck session is always problematic. Passing a 996-page bill that was negotiated behind closed doors and includes provisions that were never voted on before represents the kind of legislative sausage that the world’s greatest deliberative body should reject.

National Center for Health Research’s Public Comment on USPSTF Draft Recommendation Statement and Draft Evidence Review on Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Screening

November 28, 2016. Childhood obesity is a serious problem and intensive behavioral interventions to promote improvements in weight status have benefits for some children and adolescent populations. However, we are concerned that due to limitations in the quality of the research supporting the recommendations, they may not be appropriate for all children and adolescents.

Letter to Senators on the Innovation for Healthier Americans Bills

November 8, 2016. We respectfully urge you to not advance the Senate’s Innovation for Healthier Americans bills or the House’s 21st Century Cures Act during the lame duck session of Congress. While the House version of the legislation provides additional funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), both the House and the Senate versions contain more controversial measures which would lower safety and approval standards for drugs and medical devices at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

NCHR Testimony at FDA Risk Communication Advisory Committee – Public Forum to Discuss Strategic Plan for Risk Communication and Health Literacy

November 7, 2016. A major problem for FDA communication is how it has become increasingly promotional, rather than providing objective information about the products that the FDA regulates. Similarly, FDA needs to do a better job of preventing misleading information and inadequate explanations of risk in direct-to-consumer ads.