LUGPA Supports Blackburn-Rush USPSTF Reform Bill

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- LUGPA – a professional association representing more than 20 percent of the nation's practicing urologists – today voiced its support for legislation introduced by Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bobby Rush (D-IL) to reform the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) review process. Currently, the USPSTF, which develops guidelines for screening and other preventive services, is exempt from transparency provisions such as the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Administrative Procedures Act (APA).

The USPSTF reform bill calls for a more balanced representation of stakeholders – ranging from primary to specialty care providers – to inform the final recommendation. Other changes include publishing a draft research plan to guide the systematic evidence review process; considering findings and research by federal agencies and departments; and making the evidence review available for public comment.

"Common sense dictates that the USPSTF should weigh the expert opinion of medical specialists when reviewing screening guidelines that carry such weight with health care consumers," said Dr. Gary Kirsh, president of LUGPA. "We applaud Reps. Blackburn and Rush for their ongoing efforts to reform the USPSTF and the process by which the group makes formal recommendations affecting critical preventive care services."

The failure of the current system is underscored by recent data demonstrating the deleterious impact of the USPSTF recommendation against prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer. Researchers found that between 2011 and 2013, in the immediate wake of the USPSTF recommendation, there was a notable increase in the diagnosis of higher-risk prostate cancer and concluded that this could result in many more deaths from this disease. These findings confirmed LUGPA's earlier warnings about the potential public health catastrophe that could result from implementation of the USPSTF recommendation.

"LUGPA joined an overwhelming international consensus of urologists, prostate cancer patients, and patient advocacy groups in opposition to the USPSTF's recommendation to stop prostate cancer early detection efforts," continued Kirsh. "The bi-partisan effort let by Reps. Blackburn and Bush prevents Medicare from denying coverage for services based on USPSTF ratings and opens the process to the scrutiny of the public and experts in the field. Passage of this bill will ensure that future panel recommendations are clinically appropriate and will keep clinical decision making between patients and their doctors."

LUGPA represents urology group practices in the United States, with approximately 2,000 physicians who make up more than 20 percent of the nation's practicing urologists. LUGPA and its member practices are committed to best practices, research, data collection and benchmarking to promote quality clinical outcomes. For more information, visit lugpa.org.

SOURCE LUGPA