The Economic Stimulus Bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) provided $1.1 billion for federal agencies to oversee studies on the merits of competing medical treatments. New York Times; Scientific American; Washington Post
"Injury prevention" doesn't readily come to mind as a medical treatment, does it?
But if "healthcare" is the maintenance of good health, what could be more central to maintaining health and well-being than preventing preventable illness?
Prevention education has been likened to a vaccination against shaken baby syndrome. The effectiveness of many medicines varies with individual and social factors, such as gender and race (as noted in this Wall Street Journal article). The effectiveness of education does as well.
So, why shouldn't healthcare dollars evaluate not just the efficiency and effectiveness of treatments for the consequences of disease and injury, but prevention education too?
The Institutes of Medicine will be recommending priorities for that research, and CDC invites suggestions from the public.
You're invited. Visit the IOM website and submit ideas by March 27, 2009.
Tiny URL for the link above (preview) - http://preview.tinyurl.com/cy5fzj
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