Comparative effectiveness research examines different procedures used to treat the same illness and helps determine what works. Much current research simply looks at different medical procedures and compares them to doing nothing. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocates more than $1 billion to ramp up work in comparative effectiveness research.

These new studies will allow health care clinicians and their patients to make the best decisions about the range of available options. Without them, clinicians often have to rely more than they might like on information from a drug maker or medical device company that has a financial interest in promoting a particular remedy.

Comparative effectiveness research, Ruth Faden explains, “Is a very simple concept with a very fancy term. ”Use the audio player, above, to listen to Ruth discuss the issue—its basic goals, benefits, and how the United Kingdom uses it in its country’s health system—in this new Science Progress podcast, or follow this link and see the audio player in the sidebar, download the mp3, or subscribe via iTunes... Continued