CTSC | Cores

Office of Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER)

Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) is defined as the direct comparison of existing health care interventions to determine which work best for which patients and which pose the greatest benefits and harms. The core question of CER is which treatment works best, for whom, and under what circumstances. Areas of expertise include:

  • Large database research including administrative and cancer registry datasets
  • Use of electronic health records for research and quality improvement
  • Health economics
  • Risk modeling techniques

The CWRU Office of Comparative Effectiveness Research (OCER) was created when it became clear that no single existing CTSC Core could accommodate the needs of researchers in this field. Expertise is required across multiple disciplines and thus, the CER program will function as an office, interfacing with existing relevant cores and coordinating research efforts that span the spectrum of CER. These areas include but are not limited to:

  • Statistical methods of propensity scores, instrumental variables, and stratification
  • Meta-analysis
  • Design of pragmatic clinical trials
  • Value of information analysis
  • Cost-effectiveness analysis
  • Economic evaluation of diagnostic and treatment strategies

In addition to Gregory Cooper, MD, Director of OCER, the following CTSC Core Directors and key faculty will coordinate research efforts across cores as well as provide methodological expertise:

  • Michael Kattan, PhD (CC)
  • Paul Drawz, MD (VA)
  • Avi Dor, PhD (Health Economics, George Washington University)
  • Siran Koroukian, PhD (Core: Population Health and Outcomes Research)
  • Gerald Beck, PhD (Core: BERD)
  • Denise Babineau, PhD (Core: BERD)
  • Thomas Love, PhD (Core: BERD)
  • Neal Dawson, MD (Core: RETP)
  • GQ Zhang, PhD (Core: BRIM)
  • David Kaelber, MD (Core: BRIM)
  • John Sharp, MSSA (Core: BRIM)

Some useful websites for more information and events related to CER: