Last Tuesday the Institute of America published its list of the 100 top medical priorities in the United States. The panel was made up of doctors, health care experts and consumers. The list was aimed at the Obama administration's $1.1 billion overhaul of the medical system. 

The top three foci in the group's list included prostate cancer, reducing hospital infections and lowering the rate of unwanted pregnancies. 

Said the New York Times, "the report is one of the first concrete steps in a broad effort by administration officials and health experts to shift the focus of medical practice toward scientific evidence  -- rather than a physician's personal views or treatments promoted by medical product companies."

Known as comparative effectiveness reviews, this type of list-making policy action has the support of medical researchers, consumer groups, unions and insurers. "They say such studies are essential to curbing the widespread use of ineffective treatments and to helping control health care costs , which totaled $2.2 trillion in 2007," The New York Times reported. 

The panel's recommendations are expected to have an impact on how some of the $1.1 billion initially allotted by lawmakers for comparative research will be spent.

To read more of the panel's recommendations, click here to get the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/health/policy/01compare.html?ref=policy