Fellowship in Policy Impact of Comparative Effectiveness Research Awarded By National Pharmaceutical Council and George Washington University

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) and The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) today announced the selection of Chuck Shih, Ph.D., as the recipient of a new two-year fellowship in comparative effectiveness research (CER) policy.

The NPC/SPHHS Fellowship in the Policy Impact of CER aims to combine training in CER and CER programs with an increased understanding of related health care policy. Dr. Shih, who joined NPC on July 1, will be focusing on the study and application of CER and its implications on health policy.

"If we are going to realize the full potential of CER to improve health care, it's critical to understand the policy ramifications of CER and how the research impacts the environment within which clinical decisions are being made," said NPC Chief Science Officer Robert Dubois, M.D., Ph.D. "Dr. Shih's work will help us gain a greater understanding of the relationship between a growing body of CER and policy." 

Dr. Shih, who joined SPHHS as a Professorial Lecturer in the Department of Health Policy on June 1, earned a Ph.D. in 2012 from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Department of Health Policy and Management. He previously received a Master of Health Science in Health Policy and Bachelor of Science in Biomechanical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

"CER does not exist in a vacuum and this position is an exciting opportunity to assess CER's impact on public health by identifying the public policy mechanisms through which CER may be used in our health care system," said Dr. Shih. 

Dr. Shih's academic concentration in health economics and experience with both health policy and CER strongly positioned him for the fellowship program.  He has held positions as an analyst for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Center for Clinical Standards & Quality and as a service fellow for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Center for Outcomes and Evidence, where he reviewed and managed CER studies.

"Linking with NPC on this fellowship is an exciting opportunity for SPHHS, as we will be working together to move the field of comparative effectiveness research forward," said Paula Lantz, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy at SPHHS. "Dr. Shih is an ideal fit for advancing our understanding on this important and dynamic issue."

About the National Pharmaceutical Council:

The National Pharmaceutical Council is a health policy research organization dedicated to the advancement of good evidence and science, and to fostering an environment in the United States that supports medical innovation. Founded in 1953 and supported by the nation's major research-based pharmaceutical companies, NPC focuses on research development, information dissemination, and education on the critical issues of evidence, innovation and the value of medicines for patients. For more information, visit www.npcnow.org and follow NPC on Twitter @npcnow.

About the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services:

Established in July 1997, the School of Public Health and Health Services brought together three longstanding university programs in the schools of medicine, business, and education and is now the only school of public health in the nation's capital. Today, more than 1,100 students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 40 nations pursue undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level degrees in public health. http://sphhs.gwu.edu/

SOURCE National Pharmaceutical Council