1、Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21962Updated March 9, 2005From Bench to Bedside: The Role of Healthand Human Services (HHS) Agencies in theEvaluation of New Medical ProductsMichele SchoonmakerSpecialist in Genetics
2、Domestic Social Policy DivisionSummaryWithin the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a network ofagencies conducts and funds basic research and clinical evaluation of new medicaltechnologies. Critics say the system is not well coordinated among HHS agencies.Ultimately, data on how a new m
3、edical product impacts health outcomes are necessaryto make judgments on the effectiveness and value of that product to patients. Little ofthese data are collected in a systematic way. HHS is interested in identifying barriersand implementing strategies to make data collection easier, more coordinat
4、ed, andconsistent among the agencies. This report discusses the types of medical researchsupported by HHS and gives an overview of the agencies missions. The report, whichwill be updated, also lists options for making the process of bringing medical innovationfrom the laboratory bench to the patient
