A Cyberinfrastructure Framework for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Healthcare

Comparative effectiveness research is necessary for improving clinical outcomes and reducing costs for major public health problems including chronic disease conditions. However, current methods for conducting comparative effectiveness research are faced with limitations including insufficient data, data aggregation issues, and high costs among others. In this paper, we propose a cyberinfrastructure-based solution that includes tools for gathering large high-quality data sets and supporting mechanisms for various methods of CE research. We describe the requirements of the cyberinfrastructure and discuss the mechanisms through which cyberinfrastructure can support current CE research methods.