MEDLINE: PubMed and Ovid Platforms: Comparative Effectiveness Research

Comparative effectiveness research is the conduct and synthesis of research comparing the benefits and harms of different interventions and strategies to prevent, diagnose, treat and monitor health conditions in "real world" settings. The purpose of this research is to improve health outcomes by developing and disseminating evidence-based information to patients, clinicians, and other decision-makers, responding to their expressed needs, about which interventions are most effective for which patients under specific circumstances.

• To provide this information, comparative effectiveness research must assess a comprehensive array of health-related outcomes for diverse patient populations and subgroups.
• Defined interventions compared may include medications, procedures, medical and assistive devices and technologies, diagnostic testing, behavioral change, and delivery system strategies.
• This research necessitates the development, expansion, and use of a variety of data sources and methods to assess comparative effectiveness and actively disseminate the results. (Source)

What is the Comparative Effectiveness Research feature of PubMed?

This tool performs specialized searches of published research and research in progress to help inform investigations of comparative effectiveness

The Comparative Effectiveness Research feature of PubMed can be found by:

• Going to PubMed
• Selecting "Topic-Specific Queries" under PubMed Tools
• Selecting "Comparative Effectiveness Research"