Healthcare leaders are constantly bombarded with news about what is supposed to be the Next Big Thing. It rarely turns out to be. As a consequence, many directors may think that comparative effectiveness research—which is being touted as the Next Big Thing in quality improvement—is just another blip. But it’s much more than that.

Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) is a development that will likely revolutionize how we think about healthcare, regardless of what happens with federal reform initiatives. It significantly raises the bar in the effort to define and measure quality.