ResearchInsights To Whom Can We Apply the Results of Comparative Effectiveness Research ?

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, federal investment in comparative effectiveness research (CER) increased significantly, including through the creation of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). In grappling with decisions about how to conduct this research and apply its findings to improve health care, the challenge of treatment heterogeneity has become a significant issue for researchers and policymakers. Treatment heterogeneity in CER occurs when a particular treatment leads to different incremental results in different patients when compared to an alternative treatment. While such outcomes can reflect the quality of the research, most treatment heterogeneity reflects differences in the underlying patient population.