Patients need a health system that helps them make informed decisions

The following is an excerpt from an op-ed by National Health Council Chief Executive Officer Marc Boutin and FasterCures Executive Director Tanisha Carino, published on July 19, 2019 in The Hill. Read the full article here.

For patients and their loved ones, navigating the U.S. health-care system can be a complex and daunting experience that often is made worse by the anxiety that accompanies a life-threatening illness or injury.

But the vulnerabilities of patients and their families aren’t the only problem. Because the system often relegates them to a passive role, doctors and researchers are denied the valuable insights an equal partnership might provide.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has been making great strides in accelerating the adoption of a more patient-focused health-care system. Unfortunately for patients, their families and caregivers, funding for this critically important organization runs out at the end of this year, putting at risk the tangible progress we have seen in many areas over the last decade. As Congress considers a slate of funding proposals in the coming months, the reauthorization of this critical program must be front-and-center.

Read the full article here.