The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall establish an ad hoc planning committee to plan and host a 1- to 2-day public workshop to facilitate a discussion focused on the use of biomarkers to establish the presence and severity of disability.
The meeting will feature invited presentations and discussions on topics such as:
1. A general overview of biomarkers and the current and potential purposes for their use, including presentations which cover:
a. The accuracy of the definitions of key terms in biomarker research, to be provided by SSA (e.g., clinical endpoint, surrogate endpoint, telomere);
b. The difference between the term “biomarker” (which may include traits or metrics such as height or blood pressure) from the more specific “molecular biomarker” for which the term is typically used as an abbreviation;
c. The types of diagnostic, non-genetic biomarkers (e.g., distinct anatomical or physiological signatures); and
d. The range of impairments for which health care professionals currently use diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and their potential for use in the future.
2. How health care professionals now use non-genetic biomarkers as diagnostic/prognostic tools and severity indicators in the following physical and mental impairments (whether as a sole indicator of the presence of impairment or as confirmation of a clinically significant sign associated with the impairment), and summarize the supporting research:
a. Fibromyalgia;
b. Arthritis;
c. Posttraumatic stress disorder;
d. Major depression;
e. Schizophrenia; and
f. Chronic pain.
3. Whether it is typical for health care professionals to:
a. Associate any biomarker with a particular level of functional status; and
b. Use any biomarker as a sole indicator of impairment severity.
4. The legal and ethical implications associated with biomarker use in clinical decision-making.
A proceedings of the presentations and discussions at the workshop will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.