A special issue of the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research presents findings from Mathematica Policy Research's midstream evaluation of the $1.1 billion investment by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) in comparative effectiveness research (CER). CER is research that clarifies the effectiveness of health care interventions under real-world conditions in diverse populations and settings. The goal of this sizable investment in CER was to generate new clinical evidence that could help providers and patients improve care while enhancing the national CER infrastructure and building a sustainable foundation for future CER.
Mathematica's unique evaluation included more than 420 ARRA-funded CER projects that were focused on uncovering best practices for improving health care, developing CER data infrastructure, training new researchers, formulating research methods, and studying the best ways to disseminate and translate CER findings.
The journal features original research from Eugene Rich, Dominick Esposito, Nyna Williams, Bonnie O'Day, and other Mathematica researchers. The authors describe the overarching goals of the ARRA CER investment, analyze the core areas of the investment, discuss public perceptions of CER, and include lessons learned for future investments in CER. The articles are accompanied by opinion articles from leaders in the field of CER and health policy, including Joe Selby and Jean Slutsky from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Lisa Simpson from AcademyHealth, and Gurvaneet Randhawa from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Read the articles here:
"What Does US$1.1 Billion Buy? An Investment in the Future." Lisa Simpson
"How a Unique Provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Set a Foundation for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute." Joe Selby and Jean Slutsky
"Building Electronic Data Infrastructure for Comparative Effectiveness Research: Accomplishments, Lessons Learned, and Future Steps." Gurvaneet Randhawa
"Patients and Clinicians as Stakeholders in Comparative Effectiveness Research: Multiple Perspectives and Evolving Roles." Sunyna Williams, Dominick Esposito, and Eugene Rich
"The Importance of Collaboration in Comparative Effectiveness Research." Laura Kimmey and Eugene Rich
"The ARRA Investment in CER: A Description of the Midstream Evaluation and How the Funds Were Allocated and CER Priorities Addressed." Dominick Esposito, Pierre Yong, Eugene Rich, Kristin Geonnotti, and Laura Kimmey
"American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Investments in Data Infrastructure." Bonnie O’Day, Tessa Kieffer, Sarah Forrestal, and Dominick Esposito
"Lessons from Comparative Effectiveness Research Methods Development Projects Funded Under the Recovery Act." Jelena Zurovac and Dominick Esposito
"Workforce Development for Comparative Effectiveness Research: Training Programs Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act." Kristin Geonnotti, Eugene Rich, and Dominick Esposito
"Differences Among Consumer Segments with Regard to Perceptions of Comparative Effectiveness Research." Sunyna Williams and Sloane Frost
"Public Perceptions of Comparative Effectiveness Research and Use of Evidence in Healthcare Decision-Making." Derekh Cornwell, Mindy Hu, and Dominick Esposito
"Infrastructure to Support Learning Health Systems: Are We There Yet? Innovative Solutions and Lessons Learned from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act CER Investments." Erin Holve and Courtney Segal
"American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-Comparative Effectiveness Research Infrastructure Investments: Emerging Data Resources, Tools, and Publications." Courtney Segal and Erin Holve
"Assessing the Long-Term Impact of Public Investments in Comparative Effectiveness Research: Conceptual Framework and Lessons Learned." Eugene Rich, Dominick Esposito, Laura Kimmey, Christal Stone Valenzano, and Pierre Yong
"Evaluating Collaborations in Comparative Effectiveness Research: Opportunities and Challenges for Social Network Analysis." Joseph Zickafoose, Laura Kimmey, Amber Tomas, Dominick Esposito, and Eugene Rich