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Topics in Progress

Nominating a Topic

The USPSTF makes recommendations about three types of clinical preventive services: screening tests, preventive medications, and counseling. Recommendations on preventive services are made for asymptomatic people (people without signs and symptoms of the conditions targeted by the preventive services). For more information and to nominate a topic, click here.

The following topics are in review and development with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force). The purpose of a review is to update a recommendation based on new research or to add a new recommendation to the Task Force library.

Every recommendation involves several stages of development. The diagram below outlines the current stage for each topic now under review. The review process takes into account input from the medical and research community, stakeholders, and the general public.

The length of time for the entire recommendation process varies depending on the amount and type of available evidence and the time required for compilation of data into a draft recommendation, public comment periods and consideration of comments, and in-depth review and discussions among Task Force members.



Stages of Development

Topics under review and development are listed below.

Stages of Development chart. There are eight stages as follows: 1. Research Plan Development: Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) and Task Force topic group, with input from AHRQ medical officers, create a research plan that guides the recommendation process. 2. Evidence Review: EPC independently gathers and reviews the available published evidence. Evidence review critiqued by external national subject matter experts. 3. Draft Recommendation Development: USPSTF Topic workgroup discusses the evidence and drafts a preliminary recommendation. 4. Full Task Force Review: Evidence report and draft recommendation statement are presented to the Task Force. All menmbers discuss draft recommendation statement. Topic workgroup then drafts the full recommendation language, including clinical considerations and discussion. 5. Public Comment Opportunity: The evidence report is finalized and published. The draft recommendation is posted on the USPSTF Web Site for public comment. 6. Task Force Review of Public Comments: Public and partner comments are reviewed by Task Force and addressed as appropriate. 7. Task Force Vote: Task Force votes to ratify the final recommendation statement. 8. Final Recommendation Published: Most final recommendations are published in either Annals of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Annals of Family Medicine. All recommendations and supporting evidence reports are published on the Task Force Web site.

        Developing a
      Research Plan

    Lung Cancer (S)
    Peripheral Arterial         Disease (S)

   Systematically Reviewing
             the Evidence

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
   (S)
Alcohol Misuse (S and C)
Aspirin Use to Prevent    Preeclampsia (PM)
Breast Cancer Preventive    Medications (PM)
Dementia (S)
Gestational Diabetes (S)
Glaucoma (S)
Hepatitis C (S)
HIV (S)
Hypertension in Children and
   Adolescents (S)
Multivitamin Supplements to
   Prevent Cancer and CVD (PM)
Oral Cancer (S)
Ovarian Cancer (S)
Suicide Risk (S)
Tobacco Cessation in Adolescents (C)
                   Developing a Draft Recommendation

           Child Abuse and Neglect Interventions to Prevent (C)
           Chronic Kidney Disease (S)
           Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy for the
             Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions (PM)
           Intimate Partner Violence and Elderly Abuse (S)
           Thyroid Disease (S)
            Vitamin D Supplements to Prevent Osteoporotic Fractures
               and Cancer (PM)
                 Finalizing the Recommendation Statement

           Cervical Cancer (S)
           Coronary Heart Disease Screening with Electrocardiography
           Falls Prevention in Older Adults (C & PM)
           Healthy Diet and Physical Activity (C)
           Hearing Loss in Older Adults (S)     
           Obesity in Adults, Screening and Management
           Prostate Cancer (S)    
           Skin Cancer (C)

Abbrevations: C = Counseling; PM = Preventive Medications; S = Screening

Notes:
For more information about EPCs, follow this link.
Follow this link to see the Methods and Processes information.
To see the public comment page, follow this link.
Follow this link to see the list of all Recommendation Statements.

Current as of December 2011

Internet Citation:

Topics in Progress. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/topicsprog.htm

 


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