[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 68845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30683]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Economic Analysis of Nutrition Interventions: Methods, Research 
and Policy

Notice

    Notice is hereby given of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 
Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Economic Analysis of Nutrition 
Interventions Workshop to be held February 23-24, 2010 at the Bethesda 
North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland, 20852.

Summary

    In 2008, healthcare expenditures in the U.S. were estimated to be 
17% of GDP, and these projected expenditures were largely associated 
with chronic disease. Medicare beneficiaries spent a median of 16% of 
their incomes on healthcare, and if current trends persist, a family 
earning $60,000 ``gross wage base'' will be spending more than 41% of 
wages on healthcare in 10 years time. Despite the rapid escalation of 
healthcare costs, research into healthcare economic solutions has not 
taken center stage. Nutrition is a foundation of preventive medicine in 
our healthcare system, and it is postulated that better health outcomes 
can be achieved for dollars spent by ensuring proper nutrition of the 
population.
    Health economic issues in the U.S. healthcare delivery system have 
gained increased prominence with President Obama's expressed desire to 
``raise health care's quality and lower its costs.'' The National 
Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Award Program 
has also recognized the importance of ``enhancing the adoption of best 
practices in the community,'' including assessment of the costs and 
effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies. The potential 
benefits of health economic analysis applied to health policy include: 
identifying important factors affecting resource allocation in the 
setting of increasingly complex, uncertainty-laden medical detection 
and treatment advances; specifying a basis for allocating resources 
among diseases and in prevention versus detection, versus treatment; 
reminding decision-makers about the reality of limited resources; and, 
offering a rational approach to decision-making when resources are 
limited.
    In view of the current interest in health economics and the 
potential societal benefit of incorporating health economics as a part 
of translational science, the NIH/ODS will host this day-and-a-half 
long workshop to bring together U.S. and international academicians, 
researchers, policymakers and regulators to address the following key 
areas and questions specifically as applied to nutrition interventions:
     State of the Science: What are the health economic methods 
currently used to judge burden of illness, interventions or healthcare 
policies, and what new research methodologies are available (or are 
needed, i.e. what are critical knowledge or methodological gaps or 
barriers?)
     Research Applications: What are the current and planned 
evidence-based health economic research activities in nutrition at the 
NIH, CDC, AHRQ, USDA, FDA, CMS, OMAR, etc. and what are the activities 
in other countries?
     Regulatory and Policy Maker Perspectives: Once these 
research goals have been met, how can they assist regulatory and policy 
makers with nutrition policy decision-making?
    The workshop will consist of three half-day sessions which will 
cover the key areas identified above. Sessions will feature focused 
podium presentations, with each session concluding with a panel 
discussion. The workshop will conclude with a summary of the 
discussions, identification of knowledge gaps, and suggestions for 
future research initiatives.
    The current sponsors of this meeting are the NIH Office of Dietary 
Supplements and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative 
Medicine.

Registration

    Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come first-served 
basis. There is no registration fee to attend the workshop. To register 
please forward your name and complete mailing address, including phone 
number, via e-mail to Mr. Mike Bykowski at [email protected]. Mr. 
Bykowski will be coordinating the registration for this meeting. If you 
wish to make an oral presentation during the meeting, you must indicate 
this when you register and submit the following information: (1) A 
brief written statement of the general nature of the comments that you 
wish to present, (2) the name and address of the person(s) who will 
give the presentation, and (3) the approximate length of time that you 
are requesting for your presentation. Depending on the number of people 
who register to make presentations, we may have to limit the time 
allotted for each presentation. If you do not have access to e-mail 
please call Mr. Bykowski at 301-670-0270.

    Dated: December 18, 2009.
Paul M. Coates,
Director, Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. E9-30683 Filed 12-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P