Challenges and opportunities in comparative effectiveness research

Corrine I Voils, Matthew L MaciejewskiCenter for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USAAs comparative effectiveness research (CER) evolves in the coming years, clinicians and policymakers will be well served by CER publications that exemplify state-of-the-art research questions and methods. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the "overall goal of CER is the generation and synthesis of evidence that compares the benefits and harms of alternative methods to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor a clinical condition, or to improve the delivery of care. The purpose of CER is to assist consumers, clinicians, purchasers, and policy makers to make informed decisions that will improve health care at both the individual and population levels".