Comparative Effectiveness Research Funding

The Recovery Act (ARRA) contains $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) compares treatments and strategies to improve health. This information is essential for clinicians and patients to decide on the best treatment. It also enables our nation to improve the health of communities and the performance of the health system.

ARRA provides:

• $300 million for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• $400 million for the National Institutes of Health, and
• $400 million for the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services

These funds are to support research assessing the comparative effectiveness of health care treatments and strategies, through efforts that:

1. Conduct, support, or synthesize research that compares the clinical outcomes, effectiveness, and appropriateness of items, services, and procedures that are used to prevent, diagnose, or treat diseases, disorders, and other health conditions.
2. Encourage the development and use of clinical registries, clinical data networks, and other forms of electronic health data that can be used to generate or obtain outcomes data.

ARRA also created the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research to coordinate comparative effectiveness research across the Federal government. The Council will specifically make recommendations for the $400 million allocated to the Office of the Secretary for CER. The Council will include one senior officer or employee from each of the following agencies:

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• The National Institutes of Health.
• The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
• The Food and Drug Administration.
• The Veterans Health Administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• The office within the Department of Defense responsible for management of the Department of Defense Military Health Care System.

Read the excerpt from the Recovery Act related to comparative effectiveness research.

Watch the April 14, 2009 Listening Session