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Understanding How the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Works
USPSTF 101
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Slide 1
Understanding How the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Works: USPSTF 101
Slide 2
Goals
- Improve understanding of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF or Task Force).
- Explain the connection between the USPSTF & the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
- Describe how the Task Force develops recommendations.
- Highlight opportunities for public input.
Slide 3
Overview
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force...
- Makes recommendations on clinical preventive services to primary care clinicians:
- The USPSTF scope for clinical preventive services include:
- Screening tests
- Counseling
- Preventive medications
- Services are offered in a primary care setting.
- Recommendations apply to adults & children with no signs or symptoms.
- The USPSTF scope for clinical preventive services include:
Slide 4
Overview (continued)
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force...
- Makes recommendations based on rigorous review of existing peer-reviewed evidence.
- Does not conduct the research studies, but reviews & assesses the research.
- Evaluates benefits & harms of each service based on factors such as age & sex.
- Is an independent panel of non-Federal experts in prevention & evidenced-based medicine.
Slide 5
USPSTF Members
- The 16 volunteer members represent disciplines of primary care including family medicine, internal medicine, nursing, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, & behavioral medicine.
- Led by a Chair & Vice Chairs.
- Serve four-year terms.
- Appointed by AHRQ Director with guidance from Chair & Vice Chairs.
- Current members include Deans, Medical Directors, Chief Health Officers, Practicing Clinicians, & Professors:
Slide 6
AHRQ's Support of the Task Force
- AHRQ’s Mission: To improve the quality, safety, efficiency, & effectiveness of health care for all Americans.
- AHRQ provides administrative, scientific, technical, & dissemination support to the USPSTF.
- AHRQ’s Director, with guidance from the USPSTF Chair & Vice Chairs, appoints USPSTF members.
- While AHRQ provides support to the USPSTF, it is important to note that the USPSTF is an independent entity.
Slide 7
Topic Nominations
- How are topics nominated for review?
- Anyone can nominate a topic for the USPSTF to consider via their website: www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/tftopicnom.htm
- The public may:
- Suggest a new preventive service topic.
- Recommend reconsideration of an existing topic.
- Due to the availability of new evidence.
- Changes in the public health burden of the condition.
- Availability of new screening tests supported by new evidence.
- Topic nominations are accepted all year round & are considered by the USPSTF at their three annual meetings.
Slide 8
Steps the USPSTF Takes to Solicit Public Input and Make a Recommendation
Stages of Development chart. There are eight stages as follows:
- Develop Research Plan: Task Force members work with researchers from an Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) to create a draft Research Plan that guides the recommendation process.
- Public Comment Opportunity: The draft Research Plan is posted on the USPSTF Web site for public comment. The Task Force and EPC review all comments, address them as appropriate, and create a final Research Plan.
- Develop Evidence Report: Using the final Research Plan, the research team at the EPC independently gathers and reviews the available published evidence and creates a draft Evidence Report. The draft Evidence Report is critiqued by external national subject matter experts.
- Public Comment Opportunity: The draft Evidence Report is posted on the USPSTF Web site for public comment. (Future Step in 2013). The EPC reviews all comments, addresses them as appropriate, and creates a final Evidence Report.
- Develop Recommendation: Task Force members discuss the Evidence Report and deliberate on the effectiveness of the service. Based on the discussion, Task Force members create a draft Recommendation.
- Public Comment Opportunity: The draft Recommendation is posted on the USPSTF Web site for public comment. The Evidence Report is finalized and published.
- Finalize Recommendation: The Task Force reviews all comments, addresses them as appropriate, and creates a final Recommendation. Members vote to ratify the final Recommendation.
- Publish & Disseminate Final Recommendation: The final Recommendation and supporting Evidence Report are posted on the Task Force Web site. Final Recommendations are also made available through electronic tools, peer-reviewed journals, and consumer guides.
Slide 9
Recommendation Grades
Letter grades are assigned to each recommendation statement. These grades are based on the strength of the evidence on the harms & benefits of a specific preventive service. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/grades.htm.
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| A | The USPSTF recommends the service. There is high certainty that the net benefit is substantial. |
| B | The USPSTF recommends the service. There is high certainty that the net benefit is moderate, or there is moderate certainty that the net benefit is moderate to substantial. |
| C | Note: The following statement is undergoing revision.
Clinicians may provide this service to selected patients depending on individual circumstances. However, for most individuals without signs or symptoms there is likely to be only a small benefit from this service. |
| D | The USPSTF recommends against the service. There is moderate or high certainty that the service has no net benefit or that the harms outweigh the benefits. |
| I Statement | The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits & harms of the service. |
Slide 10
Opportunities for Public Input Engagement
This chart details the opportunities when the public may provide input in the USPSTF recommendation process, both currently and in the future. The first opportunity for public input is nominating a topic for USPSTF consideration. After the Task Force selects a topic and develops a draft research plan, the public may provide comments on the draft research plan (as of November 2011). The final research plan is then approved by the Task Force and used to develop the evidence report. The public will be able to provide comments on draft evidence reports in the future. After the Task Force has reviewed the evidence report and debated the preliminary recommendation, the draft recommendation statement is then made available for public comment. The Task Force then considers all comments and finalizes the recommendation for ratification. Once ratified, the final recommendation is published in a peer-reviewed journal and/or on the USPSTF Web site.
Slide 11
For More Information
http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org
Current as of March 2012
Internet Citation:
Understanding How the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Works: USPSTF 101 (Text Version). U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. October 2011. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf101_slides/uspstf101.htm
USPSTF Program Office |
