The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review Opens Nominations for New Members of the California Technology Assessment Forum and the New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council

Independent panel members will debate the evidence on the effectiveness and value of new drugs and other health care interventions

Contact: Mitchell Stein, 617-528-4013 ext. 7010, mstein@icer-review.org

Boston, Mass. – November 6, 2015 The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is seeking nominations for new members to join its leading independent evidence review groups, the New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council (New England CEPAC) and the California Technology Assessment Forum (CTAF).  These two bodies consist of leading clinicians, methodologists in evidence-based medicine, and health economists, as well as patient and public representatives.  Each group convenes three times each year in public meetings to discuss ICER evidence reports, gather input from stakeholders, and vote upon the strength of evidence on the effectiveness and value of new drugs, devices, and delivery system innovations. The groups also help frame recommendations for how the existing evidence can best be interpreted to guide clinical practice and coverage policy.

Prospective nominees should have familiarity with the interpretation and application of medical evidence in health care delivery, possibly including training in fields such as clinical epidemiology, health services research, or health economics.  Relevant experience might also include public health administration, consumer/patient engagement, or policy efforts to improve access to health care.

ICER is not looking for members who have specific clinical expertise in topic areas that will be reviewed in upcoming reports.  While such expertise would not disqualify a candidate, we strive to maintain the objectivity of each group and to ground the conversation in the interpretation of the published evidence rather than anecdotal experience or expert opinion.

New members will be selected to serve for a three-year term.  No member is able to serve more than two consecutive three-year terms, though after a one-year absence, former members are eligible to serve on CTAF or New England CEPAC again.

The deliberations of both CTAF and New England CEPAC have helped catalyze several notable changes in medical practice and policy.  For example, ICER’s report for CTAF and New England CEPAC on Integrating Behavioral Health into Primary Care was cited by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and has been featured on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Integration Academy’s website, a national clearinghouse for integration resources.  Additionally, ICER’s two reports on direct-acting antiviral drugs for Hepatitis C garnered national media attention. The findings were also cited in treatment guidelines developed by several national payers and were noted as instrumental in the ability of pharmacy benefit managers to achieve substantial discounts to the list price of the drugs. Most recently, ICER reports on PCSK9 inhibitors have garnered national media attention.

All members are eligible for travel reimbursement and receive an honorarium per meeting attended.  To reduce the influence of possible conflicts of interest, prospective nominees cannot be directly involved in making medical policy decisions for any state health agency, or be employees of any private insurer or life sciences industry company.  Candidates cannot have substantial financial interests in the health care industry, defined as more than $25,000 in health care company stock, honoraria, or consultancy income from any one health care manufacturer or insurer, or more than $50,000 in combined assets from multiple health care manufacturers and insurers.

All nominations should be submitted to ICER on or before December 9, 2015 and the final selection will be completed shortly thereafter with terms to begin in January (of 2016). To apply, please email a CV and letter of interest to info@icer-review.org. Nomination by sponsoring organizations and self-nominations are both welcome.

New England CEPAC

The first CEPAC meeting of 2016 will take place in March. Prospective nominees should live in a New England state.  Questions regarding activities of CEPAC and eligibility of nominees can be addressed to Courtney Cunningham at ccunningham@icer-review.org, 617-528-4013 x7013.  For more information about the New England CEPAC, please visit www.cepac.icer-review.org.

CTAF

In 2013, ICER took over the management of CTAF from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, which had funded the program for more than 10 years.  The first CTAF meeting of 2016 will take place in February.  Prospective nominees should live in California.  Questions regarding activities of CTAF and eligibility of nominees can be addressed to Karen Shore at kshore@icer-review.org, 617-528-4013 x7007.  For more information about CTAF, please visit www.ctaf.org.

Additional information

Learn more about the transparent process used to create the reports here.

Learn more about ICER’s drug assessment program here.

Learn more about ICER’s Value Assessment Framework here.

For further information please contact Mitchell Stein at 617-528-4013 ext. 7010 or mstein@icer-review.org.

About ICER

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review is an independent non-profit health care research organization dedicated to improving the interpretation and application of evidence in the health care system. ICER directs two core programs: the California Technology Assessment Forum, and the New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council. For more information about ICER, please visit ICER’s website, www.icer–review.org.