Federal Task Force Identifies 6 Areas With Insufficient Evidence For Preventive Services

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

Autism and Skin Cancer screening are among the evidence gaps in the report.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued its sixth annual report to Congress, in which it identified six areas where there is insufficient evidence for it to make a recommendation on clinical preventive services including autism and skin cancer screening. The group also identified three evidence gaps related to specific populations in the U.S.

The USPSTF is an independent body of national experts in the fields of prevention and evidence-based medicine that works to improve the health of all Americans through evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services and health promotion. The Task Force is charged via the ACA to provide an annual report to Congress identifying gaps in the scientific evidence base and recommending priority areas for future research.

“Research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides most of the evidence that the USPSTF uses to guide development of its preventive service recommendations. As part of its systematic reviews, the USPSTF identifies gaps in prevention research. The NIH Office of Disease Prevention works with NIH Institutes and Centers to review those gaps annually to identify areas that might warrant expanded research effort or investment. In this way, the NIH and USPSTF work independently yet synergistically to improve the Nation’s health,” reads a statement from the National Institutes of Health Office of Disease Prevention.

This year’s report identified six clinical preventive services that need further research:

1. screening for autism spectrum disorder in young children
2. screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in men
3. tobacco smoking cessation (electronic nicotine delivery systems) in adults
4. vitamin supplementation (nutrients and multivitamins) to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease
5. aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer
6. screening for skin cancer in adults

The Task Force is also charged with identifying gaps for specific populations or age groups as well, and this year’s report identified three such gaps:

1.  screening for breast cancer in African American women
2.  screening for cervical cancer in Hispanic and African American women
3.  screening for colorectal cancer in African Americans and American Indians/Alaska natives

The American Academy of Physician Assistants wrote, “The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) understands that preventing illness is one of the most important things that physician assistants do to promote the health of their patients. AAPA works with the USPSTF to provide our more than 50,000 members with the authoritative information they need to effectively and systematically implement preventive services into their practices.”