Comparative Effectiveness Research

The term comparative effectiveness research (CER) refers to scientific studies designed to inform health care decisions by creating an evidence base on the effectiveness, benefits, and harms of different therapeutic options. CER studies typically compare drugs, medical devices, medical tests, surgeries or procedures, or methods and systems of health care delivery. This type of scientific research is sometimes referred to as “comparative clinical effectiveness research,” since CER is linked closely with the concept of patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). PCOR studies address patient-centered questions about treatments and expected outcomes. In other words, patients generally want to know what their treatment options and the potential benefits and harms of those options are, what they can do to improve the outcomes that are most important to them, and ...