About CERTs
Annual Report Year 5
AHRQ Letter | Steering Committee Letter | Introduction | CERTs Progress | Certs Program Resources | Certs Parnerships and Collaborations | Conclusion | The CERTs Organization | Principles of CERTs Public-Private Partnerships | Peer-Reviewed Publications
Letter from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Dear Colleague:
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has sponsored the Centers for Education & Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) since their establishment in 1999. The CERTs conduct research on the safety and effectiveness of medical therapeutics (drugs, biological products, and medical devices) and examine the benefits and risks of new, existing, or combined uses of therapeutics.
As the health services research agency of the Federal Government, AHRQ works with both public and private sectors to build the knowledge base for what works and what does not work in health and health care. Our aim is to see research translated into everyday practice and policymaking.
In keeping with AHRQ's mission, the CERTs not only engage in research but also reach out to policymakers, health care executives, the medical products industry, clinicians, consumers, and the media. CERTs workshops help put research into the hands of the people who ultimately make the decisions on the use of medical therapeutics. And the value of CERTs research is multiplied as the list of their public and private partners grows.
This report outlines the CERTs' endeavors in their fifth year. We see a focus on understanding the risks associated with frequently prescribed medicines, including COX-2 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugsand erythromycin. Associated with this focus, the CERTs are exploring methods of communicating the risks of certain medications to change prescribing behavior, as well as conducting research on special issues concerning children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Their interest in health information technology continues. And this year a bioterrorism component has been added to the CERTs portfolio.
We are pleased to present this report outlining the CERTs work as a national resource on medical therapeutics.
Sincerely,
—Carolyn M. Clancy, MD
Director