Comparative-Effectiveness Research — Implications of the Federal Coordinating Council’s Report | Health Care Reform 2009

Patrick H. Conway, M.D., M.Sc., and Carolyn Clancy, M.D. Despite a plethora of diagnostic and treatment options, practical information that can guide health care choices for an individual patient are often elusive, and the resultant clinical uncertainty is an important factor driving regional variations in clinical practice. Clinicians and patients need to know not only that a treatment works on average but also which interventions work best for specific types of patients. Comparative patient-centered information is essential to translating new discoveries into better health outcomes, accelerating the application of beneficial innovations, and delivering the right treatment to the right patient at the right time. Read More