The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has chosen Cleveland Clinic for a nationwide initiative to improve how healthcare systems translate research findings to clinical practice.
PCORI's Health Systems Implementation Initiative connects 42 healthcare systems to reduce the time it takes to move a discovery in research to a new treatment for patients – an estimated 17-year lag. PCORI has committed an initial investment of up to $50 million to support the initiative.
Healthcare systems that are part of the initiative will propose projects that implement findings from PCORI-funded research, which includes more than 800 research studies focused on patient care. This is the nonprofit's first time offering this type of implementation funding.
We know it takes years to move a scientific discovery into clinical practice. Now, PCORI is providing the resources. These health systems can also benefit from learning how others accelerate this process, continuously improving and tailoring care to benefit patients."
Anita Misra-Hebert, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Cleveland Clinic's Healthcare Delivery and Implementation Science Center
Research funding provides data on how to improve treatment, recovery and healthcare maintenance, as well as the predictive tools and structures healthcare systems use to deliver services. Implementing the findings requires additional money, training and infrastructure, which is where health systems can hit roadblocks.
PCORI is offering a first phase of funding to build capacity for upcoming implementation projects – up to $500,000 per health system. Healthcare systems will then pitch implementation projects for the second phase of funding, which will range from $500,000 to $5 million per project.
In 2019, Cleveland Clinic launched the Healthcare Delivery and Implementation Science Center, which serves as a systemwide resource for research implementation, connecting researchers with operations leadership. The center offers consultation and education programs, and funds implementation projects through grants. Accepted projects include using 3-D models in imaging, prenatal testing during COVID-19, and using data to predict readmission risk.
Dr. Misra-Hebert is co-lead on programs through the Health Systems Implementation Initiative with Beri Ridgeway, M.D., Cleveland Clinic's Chief of Staff. "One of the key aspects of implementing new programs or standardizing care is translating knowledge generated from research into real world practice," said Dr. Misra-Hebert
"This initiative allows us to continue building infrastructure that will further expedite the adoption and implementation of scientific discoveries," said Dr. Ridgeway.
Participants in the initiative collectively represent 800 hospitals serving 79 million unique patients across 41 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to health systems, participants include academic medical centers, community-based health systems, integrated healthcare delivery and finance systems, safety-net health systems, faith-based systems, public health care delivery systems and a medical center within the Veterans Health Administration. See the full list on PCORI's website.
Health Systems Implementation Initiative is part of a portfolio of PCORI-funded efforts that aim to improve the awareness, uptake and use of results from patient-centered comparative effectiveness research. PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization that funds comparative clinical effectiveness research, which provides patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence to make better-informed health and healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.
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