Geisinger to host comparative effectiveness research conference in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14

DANVILLE, Pa., Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Increasing the use of highly effective medicines and procedures while reducing unnecessary spending is one of the central ideas behind the new science called comparative effectiveness research.

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Thanks to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the comparative effectiveness research movement is now fully under way in order to build evidence that compares the benefits and risks of methods to prevent, diagnose and treat clinical conditions and all while providing better patient outcomes.

And while most comparative effectiveness research is driven by more generalized concepts in regards to population health, Geisinger Health System (GHS) will open the door on applying the most effective treatment strategy combined with quality of life options to a specific subspecialty: neurosurgery.

On Thursday, Nov. 14, the Geisinger Health System Neurosciences Institute will bring national leaders together for its first Comparative Effective Research and Policy Conference at the Hotel Palomar in Washington, D.C.

Designed for health care professionals specializing in the neurosciences as well as those interested in governmental healthcare policy, the conference will address how CER research data is used to guide selection of optimal patient management strategies. It will also provide insight on how CER has been used in total process improvement and care delivery re-engineering, and its impact on future government policy and health care finance decision-making.

"Comparative effectiveness research is usually applied in the treatment of large segments of the population, making it a major issue for population health within primary care settings. This conference will present an understanding of how all of this data relates to create a multi-dimensional look at subspecialty medical intervention," said Nicholas Marko, M.D., director of neurosurgical oncology, director of the Center for Translational Neurosciences and co-director of high performance computing programs, Geisinger Health System.

Thomas Lee, M.D., MSC, chief medical officer, Press Ganey, and network president, Partners Community Healthcare, Boston, Mass.; and Glenn D. Steele Jr., M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, Geisinger Health System, will deliver the keynote addresses. Dr. Lee will present "Outcomes that matter on patients: The emerging gold standard," while Dr. Steele will present "The Geisinger experience: Re-engineering care for the future."

The conference will be divided into two sessions, with the morning focusing on general topics in and policy in CER, and the afternoon session focusing specifically on CER and neurosurgery.

Attendees should register by Thursday, Nov. 7, at http://webapps.geisinger.org/cme/CMECal_Registration.cfm?PID=2578. The cost is $125, or $50 for medical residents.

Dr. Marko and Jonathan Slotkin, M.D., director of spinal surgery and neurosurgery and director of spinal cord injury research, Geisinger Health System, are the conference directors and will open the event at 8:30 a.m. They will also be among the conference presenters.

For more information, please call the Geisinger Continuing Medical Education Office at 1-800-272-6692 or 570-271-6692.

CONTACT: Mike Ferlazzo, 570-214-7410, [email protected]

SOURCE Geisinger Health System