Comparative Effectiveness Research

Presently most research compares a treatment or intervention to a placebo or doing nothing. There are few studies that compare multiple approaches to medical concerns. Comparative Effectiveness Research addresses this problem. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “Comparative effectiveness research is the conduct and synthesis of systematic research comparing different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions. The purpose of comparative effectiveness research is to inform patients, providers, and decision-makers, responding to their expressed needs, about which interventions are most effective for which patients under specific circumstances.” Source: http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/cer/draftdefinition.html Accessed 7/28/2010.