Clinical Research Glossary

Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER)

CDISC

A study comparing two or more treatments.

Example of Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) in a sentence

A comparative effectiveness research study compares at least two treatments to determine differences in outcomes.

More Info

Comparative effectiveness research compares treatments with drugs or devices, different ways to diagnose a condition, or how best to provide health care and services.

An example of a comparative effectiveness research study would be comparing Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, and Aspirin to see which is better for treating headaches. Generally, a placebo is not used in comparative effectiveness research.

Other info to think about when joining a study

If you are thinking about joining a comparative effectiveness research study, you should understand what study treatments are being compared and why.

Version 2.0 September 2024

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