AHRQ Spending $300 million on Comparative Effectiveness Research

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) will use $300 million allocated for comparative effectiveness research under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA, Pub. L. No. 111-5) to expand and broaden pre-existing comparative effectiveness research activities, according to a July 30th proposal detailing the agency's spending plans.

ARRA appropriated a total $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research (CER), of which $300 million is for the AHRQ to spend in fiscal years 2009 and 2010. AHRQ said it will use the ARRA funds “to conduct and support research that will result in current, unbiased, evidence on health care interventions that will aid patients, health care providers, and policymakers in decision making.”