New statement outlines ATS positions on research, education, advocacy

The ATS has issued an official statement that outlines the Society's position on research, training, education, patient care and advocacy. The statement, which appears in the November 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, also makes specific recommendations on how elements of the organization can make these policies a part of new and ongoing projects.

Lee K. Brown, M.D., lead author of the statement and immediate-past chair of the ATS Health Policy Committee, calls the document a "marching order" that seeks to put the Society's guiding mission, vision and values into operation. "The statement is essentially a plan going forward as to how to put our organizational ideals into practice," he said.

The statement affirmatively states that an "altruistic concern for patients should ultimately dictate ATS positions and activities" with respect to patient access to care. "The ATS advocates strongly for universal access to care for all of our residents, but in addition the care provided must meet accepted standards for quality. For instance, reliance on emergency departments to provide non-emergency care for uninsured patients would not meet an acceptable standard in terms of continuity of care and adequacy of follow-up," said Dr. Brown, adding that he expects "a robust but orderly and polite discussion" about the position.

In research, the ATS will strive to encourage membership among translational and basic researchers and foster increased interplay among basic, translational and clinical research efforts. "There is this idea that translational research is unidirectional," said Dr. Brown. "But there needs to be a cycle: basic research should inform translational research, which in turn informs clinical research, but clinical research also needs to produce information that circles back to provide direction for additional basic studies."