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The following is a summary of “Need for Institutional Policies for Innovative Therapy: Existing Approaches and Key Elements,” published in the November 2024 issue of Critical Care by Rao et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the prevalence of policies ensuring the appropriate conduct of innovative therapy, which is common in medical centers.  

They reached out to 3 informants from prominent U.S. medical centers to assess whether each center had a policy for innovative therapy and, if so, to review the specific requirements of the policies and identify any missing critical elements.  

The results showed that 46 out of 58 responding centers (79%) lacked a policy for innovative therapy. Among the 10 policies reviewed, 50% did not require reporting of individual outcomes, and 50% did not include provisions to coordinate innovative therapy with research.  

Investigators concluded the leading U.S. medical centers lacked policies for innovative therapy, and existing policies were missing critical components, particularly regarding patient outcome reporting and research coordination. They also identified 8 key elements that should be incorporated into the policies and recommended future research to evaluate their feasibility and effectiveness in protecting patients. 

Source: journals.lww.com/ccmjournal/abstract/9900/the_need_for_institutional_policies_for_innovative.401.aspx