Description of Collaborative Activity: |
A “CMS-NIH Senior Leadership Forum” comprised of NIH Director Francis Collins, CMS Administrator Don Berwick, and Senior Staff from both agencies, convened quarterly throughout 2011. The Forum aimed to: a) Oversee establishment of joint collaborations to enable rapid translation and implementation of NIH-funded research into clinical practice; b) Stimulate collaboration between NIH and the “CMS Innovation Center” to forge pilot projects; c) Undertake efforts to rapidly identify, design, and execute studies to inform high-priority CMS questions; and d) Enhance research access to CMS data, including making available the establishment of secure CMS data enclaves to qualified NIH investigators.
The two agencies look forward to planning a series of important new initiatives. To ensure a successful, longstanding collaboration, a “CMS-NIH Brain Trust” is under development, intended to span NIH ICs and CMS Centers, and to allow for interagency brainstorming. (ATTACHMENT) The Brain Trust will engage in dialogue on CMS needs and NIH research prioritization, and forge joint efforts to develop innovative trials and coverage mechanisms. Working Groups have been/are being, established to focus on data access, health economics, multiple chronic conditions, evaluation, and collaborating with the CMS Innovation Center. |