Brasure, M.

Evaluation of systematic review outputs and outcomes is necessary to ensure user needs are being met, demonstrate impact, plan future dissemination, and justify funding. While the EPC program has been in operation for some time, efforts to evaluate the use of our CERs are still being developed. One important ongoing activity is conducted by one of the AHRQ-funded EPCs, ECRI, which monitors and documents CER use as measured by citation in clinical practice guidelines. The RTI-UNC EPC conducted a special project to analyze the impact of two CERs, with emphasis on the creation of new research opportunities.  AHRQ, with assistance from a student intern, completed a Web utilization project, based upon report hits and downloads, for a sample of CERs. Other efforts have assessed utilization by third party payers. None of the use monitoring activities or projects to date has addressed an increasingly popular type of resource for clinicians, clinical point-of-care (POC) tools. 

Objective. To summarize the effects of long-term osteoporosis drug treatment (ODT) and ODT discontinuation and holidays on fractures and harms. 

Purpose:  To summarize evidence on the effects of prescription drugs and supplements for CATD treatment.

Conclusion:  Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine slightly reduced short-term cognitive decline, and cholinesterase inhibitors slightly reduced reported functional decline, but differences versus placebo were of uncertain clinical importance. Evidence was mostly insufficient on drug treatment of BPSD and on supplements for all outcomes.