“For us, ‘true north’ is really what clinicians and patients need to know to make the best possible decision,” said Carolyn M. Clancy, director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which this year is spending about $21 million on comparative effectiveness studies.
This has never been a high priority for the country or its scientists.
Only 1.5 percent of money spent on medical research goes to “outcomes research,” of which comparative effectiveness is a sub-category. About 13,000 new clinical studies start up each year; about 112,000 are running now. A meticulous search in 2008 revealed only 689 studies that fit the general description of “comparative effectiveness.” Many experts believe that’s not enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment