Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

New Intensive Weight Loss Program for Mercy Patients ST. LOUIS, Oct. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercy received a nearly $3 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) through its Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII) to implement intensive lifestyle treatment programs for weight loss within primary care settings, one of only six health systems in the United States to receive funding for the project. Recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that in 23 states, more than one in three adults (35%) had an obesity diagnosis last year, including all states where Mercy provides care – Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. As U.S. adult obesity rates have risen, so have the related conditions of diabetes, heart disease and premature death. Mercy plans to use the PCORI funding to launch the Mercy Intensive Lifestyle Treatment for Weight Loss program, available both virtually and in person, at all 237 of its primary care clinics across four states. Eligible patients will be referred to the program, self-schedule with a program team member and select individual or group virtual visits. Mercy health coaches will engage patients with informational materials and encouragement, while patients report daily blood pressure and weight through text messaging. This project will focus on implementing an intensive lifestyle program adapted from a previous PCORI-funded comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) study showing the comparative effectiveness of a clinic-based group visit intervention for weight loss. Led by co-principal investigators Ursula Wright, Mercy chief clinical excellence officer, and Dr. John Mohart, Mercy president of community operations, the project aims to improve patients' overall health by achieving weight loss and lower health care costs by reducing hospitalizations for obesity-related conditions. "Mercy's PCORI funding award enables us to further translate clinical research into patient care," said JoAnne Levy, vice president of Mercy Research. "Our dedication to a learning environment ensures that evidence from research continues to improve the care Mercy provides to our patients." Eligibility criteria will include adult patients ages 18-85 with a Mercy primary care provider, Medicare ACO or Medicare insurance, body mass index of 30 or more with an active diagnosis of congestive heart failure, or a recent hemoglobin A1C level above 9.0. Mercy anticipates nearly 35,000 of its patients will be eligible to benefit from the program. "The intent of the program is to implement it across all Mercy primary care clinics, receive feedback and ultimately expand the program to all Mercy primary care patients interested in weight management regardless of other diagnoses," Wright said. "Our teams will begin building the back-end technology for the program in December 2024, with the program slated to start for patients in November 2025 and run through at least 2028." In February 2023, Mercy was selected to join PCORI's Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII) following a PCORI funding opportunity that sought HSII participants to promote evidence-based practice based on findings generated from PCORI-funded, patient-centered CER. The HSII, with 42 health systems participating, aims to reduce the estimated 17-year gap between evidence publication and clinical application. The initiative recognizes that health systems' practical experience and real-world insights are crucial for sustainable, large-scale implementation of practice-changing findings in clinical care. PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress with a mission to fund patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research that provides patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information they need to make better-informed health and health care decisions. This funding award has been approved pending completion of PCORI's business and programmatic review and issuance of a formal award contract. Mercy, one of the 20 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized care and one of the nation's largest and highest performing Accountable Care Organizations in quality and cost. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state health care system including more than 50 acute care and specialty (heart, children's, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has over 900 physician practice locations and outpatient facilities, more than 4,500 physicians and advanced practitioners and 50,000 co-workers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In fiscal year 2023 alone, Mercy provided more than half a billion dollars of free care and other community benefits, including traditional charity care and unreimbursed Medicaid. SOURCE Mercy WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Twenty-five U.S. health systems to implement PCORI-funded CER results on either antibiotic use or weight loss treatment WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) today announced $37 million in funding awards through its Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII). These awards will support 25 projects implementing PCORI-funded comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) findings in participating HSII health systems. Key Points: Continue Reading PCORI awards $37M to fund 25 HSII Implementation Projects PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, M.D., MPH (PRNewsfoto/Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) PCORI Deputy Executive Director for Patient-Centered Research Programs, Harv Feldman, M.D., MSCE (PRNewsfoto/Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) Twenty-five HSII participant health systems, covering more than 2,300 care sites across the country, received PCORI funding awards. HSII implementation projects will focus on one of two main areas: Improving antibiotic prescribing practices for treating children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in outpatient settings. Implementing effective intensive lifestyle treatment programs for weight loss into primary care settings. Potential impact on care for 1.5 million children seen for ARTIs and more than 50,000 adults completing a weight loss program. HSII is part of PCORI's commitment to reduce the often-cited 17-year gap between research publication and clinical adoption. First implementation project awards under the multiyear HSII, which PCORI launched in 2023. "PCORI's Health Systems Implementation Initiative innovatively bridges the gap between research and practice," said PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, M.D., MPH. "By funding projects like these, we are proactively supporting the uptake of evidence from PCORI-funded patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research in clinical settings. This initiative enables clinicians and health systems to not only access but also effectively scale implementation of patient-centered evidence, to improve care delivery and patient outcomes." Project Focus: Antibiotic Prescribing (19 projects) : Improving antibiotic prescribing by implementing findings from a large PCORI-funded CER study demonstrating that narrow-spectrum antibiotics were as effective as broad-spectrum antibiotics in treating acute respiratory tract infections among children, with fewer side effects. Weight Loss Treatment (6 projects) : Implementing intensive lifestyle treatment programs for weight loss within primary care settings, based on two PCORI-funded CER studies. These studies produced evidence in favor of two clinical interventions, a health coaching program and a clinic-based group visits program. The growing number of drug-resistant infections and rising obesity rates in adults are two healthcare challenges addressed through PCORI's inaugural HSII implementation projects. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for children. Selecting the right antibiotic at the right time can help prevent the problem of drug-resistant infections. Specifically, choosing narrow-spectrum antibiotics that target specific bacteria, instead of broad-spectrum antibiotics, can help prevent the expansion of hard-to-treat resistant bacterial strains. Hospitals have made great strides in antibiotic stewardship efforts. With most antibiotics prescribed in clinics and doctor's offices, there is now an opportunity to improve prescribing in the outpatient setting. Meanwhile, U.S. adult obesity rates have climbed from 30 percent to more than 40 percent in the past two decades, increasing risks of diabetes, heart disease and premature death. Although the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and other groups have identified intensive lifestyle treatment as an effective way to treat obesity, clinicians face challenges in delivering this care, such as lack of time and resources. The intensive lifestyle treatment programs evaluated in PCORI-funded research offer more flexible approaches to delivering these programs in primary care settings, helping to address these barriers. "It takes an intentional, dedicated effort to change clinical practice on the basis of new evidence, which is why PCORI is committed to promoting the dissemination and adoption of patient-centered CER results in healthcare settings," said PCORI Deputy Executive Director for Patient-Centered Research Programs Harv Feldman, M.D., MSCE. "These HSII implementation projects will use implementation practices that will be able to be leveraged nationwide, leading to lasting improvements in patient care across U.S. health systems." Details of the newly funded 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. PCORI will announce a second round of HSII implementation awards in the spring of 2025. Follow @PCORI on Twitter or find us on LinkedIn. #patientcenteredcare #clinicalresearch 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. SOURCE Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

Approved awards support patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) on telehealth interventions, heart care and various health concerns WASHINGTON, Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) today announced the approval of funding awards totaling more than $165 million for new patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER), as well as research to improve methods and strengthen the science of engagement in patient-centered CER. Among the 10 CER studies awarded, three will evaluate the effectiveness of telehealth interventions to treat Type 2 diabetes, chronic low back pain and opioid use disorder. Continue Reading PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, M.D., MPH (PRNewsfoto/Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) PCORI Deputy Executive Director for Patient-Centered Research Programs, Harv Feldman, M.D., MSCE (PRNewsfoto/Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) PCORI will fund two large, multiphase CER studies, expanding its growing portfolio of PCORI-funded research on care approaches for patients with heart conditions, including heart rhythm disorders. In one study, researchers will compare two commonly prescribed beta blockers in patients with heart failure and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). In the second study, researchers will compare different methods for monitoring pacemakers and ICDs that use wireless remote monitoring. "These latest PCORI-funded comparative clinical effectiveness research studies will generate evidence for various care approaches, including virtual delivery methods, when managing conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions and other health concerns affecting patients across the nation," said Nakela L. Cook, M.D., MPH, PCORI's executive director. "Through research approaches that will engender trust and trustworthiness, the findings of these studies will offer valuable insights for patients and those who care for them to make better-informed healthcare decisions." PCORI also approved awards for three CER studies comparing the timing of care delivery and its effect on patient outcomes. Among these, one is a large, multiphase CER study of in vitro fertilization; another study focuses on antibiotics for young children with mild pneumonia and a third on treatment for inflammatory myelitis and optic neuritis. Two other CER funding awards are for studies comparing strategies to treat urinary incontinence during vaginal prolapse repair procedures and approaches to address the social needs of patients managing multiple chronic conditions. "At the center of comparative clinical effectiveness research is a recognition that patients' needs are diverse and not all treatments or interventions have the same effects for everyone," said Harv Feldman, M.D., MSCE, PCORI's deputy executive director for patient-centered research programs. "These CER studies will generate evidence about how different approaches to care may work better for some patients for health concerns facing different people every day." PCORI also supports efforts to promote the uptake of PCORI-funded CER findings in clinical practice. A new award funds a project to disseminate results of a study that evaluated outcomes for tubal ligation and intrauterine devices. In addition, PCORI approved $4 million to fund four studies to improve methods for conducting CER and more than $5 million for three studies that will strengthen the evidence base on how research teams can optimize engagement of patients and other health care decision makers throughout the design and conduct of patient-centered CER. Details of these 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 health care approaches, CER generates evidence that helps people make better-informed decisions and improves health care 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. SOURCE Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute