PCORI commits $156 million to new patient-centered health research studies

New CER studies address critical evidence gaps in sleep health, care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and maternal health

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has approved funding awards totaling more than $156 million for new patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER), as well as research to improve methods and strengthen the science of engagement in CER. The awards will support 13 CER studies, including three focused on sleep interventions.

"Poor sleep affects more than 50 million people in the United States and is linked to multiple chronic conditions and negative health outcomes," said PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, M.D., MPH. "These patient-centered CER studies will fill important evidence gaps on interventions to improve quality sleep, helping patients and those who care for them make better-informed health decisions about an important aspect of their health."

Among the funding awards for patient-centered CER are:

• Three studies on care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including sleep apnea treatment for people with Down syndrome, early interventions for toddlers with developmental disabilities and travel training interventions for young adults with IDD.
• Two studies comparing approaches to manage gestational diabetes and postpartum blood pressure.
• Studies addressing hip fractures, stroke, inflammatory bowel disease, smoking cessation, intubation in adults and bronchiolitis follow-up care in children.

Funding also supports implementation, CER methods, science of engagement and PCORnet^®

PCORI also approved funding awards to implement PCORI-funded CER results in clinical practice. One project will help older adults with advanced kidney disease understand their treatment options, while another will integrate acupuncture and massage into cancer care.

Additional funding includes:

• $8 million for eight studies to improve methods for conducting CER.
• $7 million for four studies to strengthen the evidence base on effectively engaging patients and other healthcare decision makers throughout the design and conduct of patient-centered CER.
• $134 million for PCORnet^® to support eight PCORnet® Clinical Research Networks (CRNs) and coordinating center activities.

"By investing in methodological research and studies that add to the evidence base on engagement in research, we are strengthening the foundation of patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research," said PCORI Deputy Executive Director for Patient-Centered Programs Harv Feldman, M.D., MSCE. "Rigorous, evidence-based and trustworthy approaches are critical to shaping research that generates results patients and their caregivers can rely on. Insights from these PCORI-funded studies will further our mission of producing high-integrity patient-centered CER."

Details of these funding awards, and all the newly funded studies and projects, are available on PCORI's website. All award funding has been approved pending final PCORI contractual considerations. Since 2010, PCORI has awarded more than $4.5 billion to fund patient-centered CER and research-related projects. 

About PCORI

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is the nation's leading funder of patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER). By comparing two or more health or healthcare approaches, CER generates evidence that helps people make better-informed decisions and improves healthcare delivery and outcomes. PCORI takes a holistic approach to its work, ensuring that patients and other health decision makers are engaged as partners throughout the research process, supporting dissemination and implementation of results in practice and strengthening clinical research infrastructure to advance patient-centered CER. PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress. Visit pcori.org.

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SOURCE Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute