Comparative Effectiveness — Thinking Beyond Medication A versus Medication B

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17, 2009, directs $1.1 billion to support “the development and dissemination of research assessing the comparative effectiveness of health care treatments and strategies, including through efforts that . . . conduct, support, or synthesize research that compares the clinical outcomes, effectiveness, and appropriateness of items, services, and procedures that are used to prevent, diagnose, or treat diseases, disorders, and other health conditions.”