Comparative effectiveness research in radiology: patients, physicians and policy makers.

Health care costs continue to rise, with significant geographic differences in spending on health care and outcomes within the United States. The goal of comparative effectiveness research is to reduce health care spending without adversely effecting overall health according to the Congressional Budget Office. There are unique challenges and barriers to applying comparative effectiveness research to radiology, including rapidly changing technology, complex multistep care processes, and the burden of proving the impact of a diagnostic exam on patient outcome. Radiology shares other challenges of acceptance of comparative effectiveness research results (diffusion of new knowledge and successful implementation of changes in clinical practice) with all of health care, but with the added complication that radiologists do not order radiology exams.