The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Board of Governors, an independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress, has approved $85 million for 16 new studies to improve care and outcomes for several conditions.
The studies will compare two or more approaches to care for problems and conditions that impose high burdens on patients, caregivers and the healthcare system, including opioid use, cancer, depression and stroke.
“These new awards will help answer significant questions about treatment and care delivery that are important to patients and those who care for them,” PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH, said in a statement. “They reflect the best ideas for urgently needed research on topics prioritized based on input from patients, caregivers, clinicians and other stakeholders. The results will give healthcare decision makers evidence they need to make better-informed health and healthcare decisions.”
The funding includes $5 million for a natural experiment study by the University of Washington comparing two approaches to reduce unsafe opioid prescribing in the workers’ compensation system of Ohio and Washington. More than 3,600 opioid-related overdose deaths occurred in Ohio in 2016, along with nearly 700 in Washington in 2015, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The study is the latest in PCORI’s portfolio of patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness (CER) studies on substance abuse and pain management, including 15 focused on opioid use.
Other notable studies receiving funding include:
- $15.7 million for a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study comparing current stroke care with a new model.
- $8.5 million for a University of Washington study to compare bladder-removal surgery treatments.
- $13.3 million for a West Virginia University trial that will compare strategies for primary care providers in rural areas treating patients with major depressive disorders.
The latest round of funding brings PCORI’s total investment up to $2.4 billion to fund more than 440 patient-centered CER studies and projects.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."