re: PD News: PD Registry created in UK Linda Herman wrote: >Wouldn't it be great if the outcomes of the growing number of treatments for PD >could be predicted with more certainty than "it's a matter of trial and error" ? NEWS: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Kantor Family Foundation are working to improve health care decision making by providing patients with information based on scientific research; supporting development of a national outcomes database to be used by doctors and patients in determining which treatments work best for specific diseases and conditions; and encouraging the standardization of health outcomes data throughout the health care system. These activities are consistent with AHRQ's mission as the lead Federal agency on quality of care issues. Parkinson's Disease has been identified along with Breast Cancer as a potential demonstration case for a national outcomes data base. This selection is based on the need for the data to inform patients as well as providers because decisions are not clearcut and on the "activation" of the grass roots patient groups to support and encourage its development and use. I have been invited to attend the next meeting of the Health Outcomes Data Base Planning Committee on April 12th. This is a great opportunity to take the lead in quality services for PWP. I will keep the community informed as this project unfolds, and I will be seeking community support for these efforts as needed. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Now You Have a Diagnosis: What's Next AHRQ announced on March 22 the release of a new resource that helps patients find and use reliable health care information to evaluate treatment options. Now You Have a Diagnosis: What's Next is part of AHRQ's broader agenda to promote health care quality and improve health care decisionmaking with research and evidence. The resource was developed in partnership with the Kanter Family Foundation. Visit http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/diaginfo.htm to see the publication online. To hear an audio news release, see our press release at http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2000/kanterpr.htm and scroll to the bottom. To order a free copy, call the AHRQ Publication Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295. Perry Cohen