The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is seeking feedback on eight topics selected for the first pilot projects targeted for grant funding. The pilots will be used to establish national priorities for patient-centered outcome research (PCOR).
PCORI is an independent research organization aiming to aid patients, clinicians, policy makers and other stakeholders make better health decisions using evidence-based research. The organization was created by Congress as part of the Affordable Care Act.
[See also: HHS awards more than $14M for patient-centered outcomes research.]
The first round of pilot projects PCORI will request grant funding for will focus on PCOR methods. The eight topics targeted for the first round of projects are:
• Developing, testing, and/or evaluating novel methods and approaches that can inform the process of establishing and updating national priorities for patient centered outcomes research (PCOR).
• Developing, testing, and/or evaluating methods for bringing together patients, caregivers, clinicians and non-traditional partners in all stages of a multi-stakeholder research process, from the generation and prioritization of research questions to the conduct and analysis of a study to dissemination of study results.
• Developing, testing, and/or evaluating novel processes for translating research findings into changes in healthcare practices.
• Developing, testing and/or evaluating approaches that could systematically, without bias, identify gaps in evidence that most affect low-income populations; minorities; children; elderly; women; people with disabilities, multiple medical conditions, rare conditions, and other vulnerable populations.
• Identifying, testing and evaluating novel predictive outcomes instruments of interest to patients.
• Identifying, testing and evaluating novel methods for researching behaviors, lifestyles and choices within patient control that may influence their outcomes.
• Identifying, testing and evaluating novel methods for studying the patient-clinician interaction in situations where multiple options for prevention, diagnosis or treatment exist.
• Identifying, testing and evaluating methods to assess strategies that respect patient autonomy and promote informed decision-making, incorporating the best healthcare knowledge into the application of care.
“We look forward to receiving the public’s input on these topics and suggestions for other areas of research,” said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, in a statement. “It is rare for researchers and the public to get the chance to preview and influence what a call for applications may contain, but the transparency and access you see here will be typical of PCORI.”
PCORI will accept comment through Aug. 31. It will issue a request for applications for pilot project grants in late September.
The organization is also seeking input on a working definition of patient-centered outcomes research. Feedback will be accepted through Sept. 2.