Health Affairs, 24, no. 1 (2005): 128-132 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.24.1.128 © 2005 by Project HOPE	New Online   Pay Cuts For Medicare Docs   Access To Care Woes   Public Coverage More Efficient   Empowering Consumers

This Article Full Text (HTML) Reprint (PDF) Submit a response to this article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Archive Download to Citation Manager Reprints & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (9) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Teutsch, S. M. Articles by Weinstein, M. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Teutsch, S. M. Articles by Weinstein, M. C. Related Collections Evidence-Based Medicine Health Reform Medicare Pharmaceuticals Physicians Quality Of Care Research And Technology Politics

Evaluating Evidence

PERSPECTIVE

Comparative Effectiveness: Asking The Right Questions, Choosing The Right Method

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 has placed renewed focus on assessing the comparative effectiveness of various therapeutic options. Unfortunately, all of the evidence needed to fully assess these options is rarely available to drug formulary decisionmakers. Comparative randomized trials frequently fail to find differences when there indeed are some, while decision-modeling approaches are more likely to identify differences where there are none. We consider the consequences of these strategies. This paper proposes a framework for using different methods to assess available evidence. We contend that choosing the appropriate method can occur only when there are clear policy goals.

                      What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. R. Slutsky Moving Closer To A Rapid-Learning Health Care System Health Aff., March 1, 2007; 26(2): w122 - w124. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Teutsch and M. L. Berger Evidence Synthesis and Evidence-Based Decision Making: Related But Distinct Processes Med Decis Making, September 1, 2005; 25(5): 487 - 489. [PDF]

				P. J. Neumann, N. Divi, M. T. Beinfeld, B.-S. Levine, P. S. Keenan, E. F. Halpern, and G. S. Gazelle Medicare's National Coverage Decisions, 1999-2003: Quality Of Evidence And Review Times Health Aff., January 1, 2005; 24(1): 243 - 254. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]