Jean R. Slutsky, P.A., M.S.P.H

Director, Center for Outcomes and Evidence Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ms. Slutsky has directed the Center for Outcomes and Evidence (COE), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since June 2003.  Prior to Ms. Slutsky’s appointment as director of COE, she served as acting director of the Center for Practice and Technology Assessment at AHRQ.  Most recently, Ms. Slutsky has implemented a comparative effectiveness research program that includes evidence synthesis, evidence generation, and evidence translation and implementation. The Effective Health Care Program is authorized under Section 1013 of the Medicare Modernization Act.

Ms. Slutsky oversees the Evidence-based Practice Center program; Technology Assessment Program; extramural and intramural research portfolios concerning translating research into practice, outcomes and effectiveness research, including pharmaceutical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness analyses; and the National Guideline, Quality Measures, and QualityTools Clearinghouses.  She is a member of the editorial board of Implementation Science.

Prior to becoming acting director of the Center for Practice and Technology Assessment, Ms. Slutsky, served as project director of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an internationally recognized panel of experts who make evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive services.

Ms. Slutsky received her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Iowa, a Masters of Science in Public Health (Health Policy and Administration) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and trained as a Physician Assistant at the University of Southern California.

Vision for G-I-N over the next 5 years

Managing uncertainty about the effectiveness of different clinical interventions and approaches and their application in different settings and patients has driven the interest in making evidence generation and evidence-based medicine an important part of vital health care systems. Developing evidence for better informing medical decision making is becoming an important aspect of clinical care throughout the world. Clinical practice guidelines have become a conduit for providing evidence at the point of decision making.

Our investments in biomedical research have resulted in many new diagnostic and therapeutic options. Along with realizing new potentials and opportunities, we’ve learned that new options bring new challenges both in how we assess the safety and effectiveness of different therapeutic choices and who would benefit most from their use.

Understanding what works best in what circumstance and for which patient requires an investment in understanding not only the context in which care is delivered but the evidence that supports the different approaches. It is necessary to understand the information needs of clinicians and what concerns and questions patients may have about their treatment choices. Not an easy process but a very important one.

As the world of evidence-based medicine evolves and more emphasis is placed on transparency, harmonization of methods and evidence, patient-centered decision making, and measurement, the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) is a treasured resource for its members as they contribute to and navigate this world.

G-I-N needs to continue to be relevant to the needs of guideline developers at all levels, from the newest to the most sophisticated, exploring ways to mentor and to push boundaries of how to develop guidelines and to integrate them into the fabric of clinical care. G-I-N must continue to be the practical as well as intellectual focus for guideline development in the world by bringing together guideline developing organizations and individuals no matter where they live.  As an organization, G-I-N needs to continue to focus on the evolution of guidelines and their role in health care decision making especially as health care reform is played out in many parts of the world.

The interest in guidelines has been enormous. There is no doubt that we are entering an era where we have the opportunity to know much more about different treatment options, benefits and harms, and how to reduce variability then the generation before us. This is rapidly becoming a worldwide phenomenon and G-I-N will be an exceptional leader for all who work to develop and implement clinical practice guidelines.

Email: jean.slutsky@ahrq.hhs.gov