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Research in the biomedical
sciences has generated a wealth of new discoveries that are improving
our health, extending our lives and raising our standard of living. In
order to assess this progress and realize the full potential presented
by these breakthroughs in medical research, it is essential that this
information about recent accomplishments, current efforts and future
opportunities reach a broad audience of interested citizens and policy
makers.
In summarizing these advances, however, it is necessary
to consider the information needs of various groups. To assist people
seeking information about progress in biomedical research, the
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) has
identified some easily accessible sources. The compilation presented
below, while by no means comprehensive, represents an introduction to
some of these information sources, focusing on material available
through the Internet.
Some of the benefits of
biomedical research can be seen with traditional measures of health and
well-being, such as morbidity and mortality rates. Americans, and
people around the globe, are living longer and are less likely to
succumb to many of the scourges of the past.
Better diagnostics also mean that many illnesses are identified sooner,
and with this improved diagnosis comes a
better prognosis for treatment and recovery. Thus, for many diseases,
the rates of incidence are not dropping but the outlook for the victims
has dramatically improved. Victims of many diseases live fuller, better
lives due to improved methods of treatment. Quality of life is much
harder to summarize in a single statistic, but the benefits are real and
extremely important to the victims of disease and their families.
For some purposes, it is
helpful to have information on the economic cost of illness and
estimates of the savings from recent innovations or from anticipated
progress. The cost of medical services can be calculated using current
prices and future costs can be estimated with assumptions about
inflation and utilization. More inclusive measures, attempting to
include lost income and quality of life, are more difficult to produce
and interpret but may prove valuable to those seeking a more
comprehensive economic profile. Government investment in basic research
has fueled the growth of new industries that further benefit that
nation’s economy.
Some of the most profound advances, e.g., the isolation
of human stem cells and the mapping of the human genome, have just begun
to demonstrate their vast therapeutic potential. The return on the
investment in basic research may not be apparent for several years,
presenting an obstacle to short-term analysis and the effort to link
outcomes to specific investments. While no single measurement can
quantify the magnitude of the benefits, the following compilation of
sources suggests starting points for the challenge of substantiating the
benefits of biomedical research.
> Sources of
Information on Recent Accomplishments |
