PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared obesity the most important public health issue in the United States. The condition is linked to an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, and other conditions. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight - and half of the people categorized as “overweight” are actually obese. ECRI’s 12th Annual Conference on Research Evidence, Health Policy, Law, and Regulation will explore what is and is not known about the effectiveness of a broad range of prevention and treatment strategies and technologies for overweight and obesity.
“Preventing and Treating Overweight and Obesity: How Effective Are the Interventions?” will be held October 27 to 28, 2004, at ECRI’s headquarters in Plymouth Meeting, PA (suburban Philadelphia). Distinguished speakers will offer perspectives on the issues affecting a diverse group of stakeholders, including hospitals, public and private payers, labor unions, clinicians, business and industry, public health officials, and policymakers. This conference will broaden stakeholders’ understanding of the available clinical evidence on the effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies and will help them to make better decisions.
“There is so much information about overweight and obesity, but not much guidance on what to do about it,” says Jeffrey C. Lerner, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of ECRI. “This conference addresses critical issues. The focus will be on finding out which programs and strategies work to prevent overweight; how the clinical community can effectively treat obesity and morbid obesity to reduce the known risks it brings for serious disease; and which public and private policy tools are being brought to bear on the issues.”
ECRI’s 2004 conference, comprising three main sessions, will feature an exceptional roster of speakers, including the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ director of Coverage and Analysis; the chief medical officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; the director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; senior medical officers from health plans (such as Kaiser Permanente and HealthPartners) and hospitals; the president of HealthTech; and many others from a wide variety of stakeholders.
The first session, “Primary Prevention and Population-Based Treatment Strategies,” examines the available clinical evidence on interventions to prevent and treat overweight and obesity in people without a diagnosis of any chronic disease. The session also examines the evidence that underpins the anti-obesity programs and strategies of federal and state governments, community-based approaches (such as school and workplace), health plans, hospitals, and the media. Discussion of the evidence will include specific interventions as well as broader programs and perspectives on human behavior and communication through public health campaigns.
“Treating Obesity and Morbid Obesity,” the second session, focuses on the relative effectiveness of behavioral, pharmaceutical, and surgical treatment programs currently reimbursed by public and private payers. Speakers will discuss key operational considerations and patient-safety issues regarding the delivery of bariatric services. They will also review issues related to Centers of Excellence, pay-for-performance, and disease management programs for obesity-associated conditions. In addition, hospital executives and clinical leaders will learn more about new technologies on the horizon that may have clinical, financial, or operational impact.
The final session, “Using the Policy Tools of Laws and Regulation,” looks at the leading state initiatives being developed through Medicaid programs and health departments; the regulation of claims being made by manufacturers of prescription drugs, dietary supplements, and medical devices; the status of significant litigation; employer strategies; and more.
Preceding the policy conference, ECRI will host a methodology course on October 26, 2004. ECRI’s Evidence-based Practice Center research analysts will demonstrate techniques for identifying and analyzing the best evidence on the safety and effectiveness of drug therapies, clinical procedures, and medical devices.
ECRI’s conference is accredited by the American Academy of Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Conference sponsors include Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy, the Milbank Memorial Fund, Center for the Advancement of Health, National Business Group on Health (formerly the Washington Business Group on Health), the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), HealthTech, the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, and Delaware Valley Healthcare Council (DVHC).
Space is limited. To ensure availability and to benefit from the early bird discount, register before August 31, 2004. The final registration deadline is October 15, 2004. Membership in ECRI’s Health Technology Assessment Information Service (HTAIS) and ECRI Platinum includes complimentary registration to the policy conference for up to two individuals and reduced rates for additional attendees. Discounted registration is also available to members of ECRI’s Emerging Technology Service and Healthcare Risk Control (HRC) System. See registration form for details. For more information or to register for this conference, visit http://www.ecri.org/taconf; or contact ECRI by telephone at +1 (610) 825-6000, ext. 5519; by e-mail at jmaslin@ecri.org; by fax at +1 (610) 834-1275, or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1298, USA.
ECRI (http://www.ecri.org/), a nonprofit international health services research agency, is a Collaborating Center for Healthcare Technology Assessment of the World Health Organization and an Evidence-based Practice Center, as designated by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI provides information and technical assistance to the healthcare community to support safe and cost-effective patient care.
ECRI
CONTACT: Media: Laurie D. Menyo, ECRI, +1-610-825-6000, ext. 5310
