As pointed out in the comment section to our comparative effectiveness post, the stimulus bill has allocated 1.1 Billion to researchers to compare drugs, medical devices, surgery and other ways to treating specific conditions.
Per this NY Times article (a must read):
The program responds to a growing concern that doctors have little or no solid evidence of the value of many treatments.
Certainly, as pointed out, there are many political hurdles to overcome but this is indeed an opportunity for us that we have not ever had to influence conservative, cost-effective interventions for high cost drivers like cervical and low back pain.
