Comparative Effectiveness Research to Accelerate Translation: Recommendations for an Emerging Field of Science

Abstract

The term “comparative effectiveness research” (CER) is a new way of describing a research field with a long intellectual tradition. The U.S. Federal Coordinating Council for CER defines it as “the conduct and synthesis of research comparing the benefits and harms of different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor health conditions in ‘real-world’ settings. The purpose of this research is to improve health outcomes by developing and disseminating evidence-based information to patients, clinicians, and other decision makers, responding to their expressed needs, about which interventions are most effective for which patients under specific circumstances.” This chapter summarizes dissemination and implementation (D&I) issues involved in CER. It begins by discussing core elements that all major stakeholders agree are included in CER. In subsequent sections, evolving content and scope issues are covered in more detail, such as research design, comparison conditions, and rapid learning paradigms from networks of settings. Finally, the chapter discusses some of the controversies within this field, such as the role and types of economic analyses and recommendations for future research needed to enhance D&I and produce CER results that will disseminate and translate into population-based change.