This week, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel released its 100 Initial Priority Topics for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Listed within the top 25 was a recommendation submitted by ASHA to compare the effectiveness of the different treatments for hearing loss in children and adults, especially individuals with diverse cultural, language, medical, and developmental backgrounds.
The recommendations were developed in response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which provided funding of 1.1 billion to begin comparative effectiveness research and called on the IOM to develop research priorities. Although the priorities are not official policies of the IOM, the recommendations will likely influence where funding dollars will be allocated. There has been no additional information on which, if any of the top priorities will be funded, and how funds will be distributed for research.
For more information on comparative effectiveness research and IOM activities, please contact Rob Mullen, ASHA's Director for the National Center for Evidence Based Practice in Communications Disorders, at RMullen@asha.org. For additional information related to ARRA, please contact Ingrida Lusis, ASHA's Director of Federal and Political Advocacy, at ilusis@asha.org.
Sincerely, Katie Bromley American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Director, Grassroots and Congressional Advocacy
