Developing A Center For Comparative Effectiveness Information

• Published in: Health Affairs Vol. 25; no. 6; p. w572
• Main Author: Wilensky, Gail R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Health Affairs 01.11.2006; The People to People Health Foundation, Inc., Project HOPE
• Subjects: Clinical trials; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Decision making; Drug Evaluation - economics; Effectiveness studies; FDA approval; Growth rate; Health care; Health care expenditures; Health care industry; Health care policy; Health services; Health Services Research - organization & administration; Humans; Information Centers - organization & administration; Insurance coverage; International comparisons; Medical equipment; Medicare; Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement & Modernization Act 2003-US; Models, Organizational; National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.) Health and Medicine Division; National Institutes of Health (U.S.); Per capita; Pharmaceutical industry; Prescription drugs; Private Sector; Research & development expenditures; Technology Assessment, Biomedical - economics; Technology Assessment, Biomedical - organization & administration; United States; United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• ISSN: 0278-2715; 1544-5208
• DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.25.w572

Interest in objective, credible comparative clinical effectiveness information has been growing in the United States, both by those who support competitive behavior in health care and by those who support administered pricing. The Medicare drug benefit has heightened interest in better information, although the potential payoff is even greater for medical procedures than for drugs, since procedures account for more of the health care dollar. Careful consideration needs to be given regarding the appropriate structure, placement, financing, and function of an agency devoted to comparative effectiveness if it is to achieve its objective: a mechanism to support better decision making in health care.