Learn more about PCORI's efforts to address the threat that the virus poses to the nation's health. [View/Download]
Last Updated: April 1, 2020
PCORI Funds Registry, COVID-19 Study in Healthcare Workers
On April 1, 2020, PCORI's Board of Governors approved up to $50 million to fund a registry and randomized clinical trial of the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in preventing COVID-19 infections in US healthcare workers (HCWs). The trial will evaluate the use of HCQ in addition to usual practice to both prevent COVID-19 infection in exposed HCWs and limit the spread of the virus from infected HCWs who do not exhibit symptoms.
Applicant and Awardee FAQs Related to COVID-19
PCORI is concerned first and foremost for the health and safety of our community, including applicants, awardees, stakeholders, research participants, staff, and all others involved with PCORI. To that end, PCORI is working to assist applicants and awardees in finding solutions that may help address issues related to disruptions associated with COVID-19 (coronavirus). These issues include general and financial guidance, addressing pre-award concerns for applicants, and addressing post-award concerns for awardees.
Confronting COVID-19: Finding Hospital Capacity and Improving Patient Flow
A Webinar Series Hosted by PCORI for Hospitals and Health Systems
Faced with an imminent or actual surge of COVID-19 patients, hospitals across the country confront enormous challenges with capacity and patient flow. As some hospitals report “battlefield conditions,” real-time learning is taking place. In this PCORI-hosted webinar series, a team of clinicians and operations management experts will share their learnings with the wider hospital community.
A Message from PCORI's Interim Executive Director
In light of the spread of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus, the health and well-being of everyone is our primary concern as we endeavor to continue carrying out our mission with a concentration on reacting quickly to the current public health emergency.
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| Josie P. Briggs, MD Interim Executive Director, PCORI |
Safety and well-being are integral to our research funding, engagement with stakeholders, and other services, business processes, and infrastructure. We are assessing the situation daily, remaining vigilant, and following all recommendations from the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and federal and state authorities.
Staff Availability: Following federal and state guidance to promote social distancing, PCORI’s staff has shifted to telework and is conducting meetings and other business through virtual platforms such as teleconferencing and videoconferencing. We will strive to be accessible and minimize disruptions as much as possible under the circumstances. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we engage with you under extraordinary conditions.
Meetings: We are curtailing all business travel by PCORI staff for the foreseeable future. During that same period, we are postponing, switching to all-virtual formats, or canceling PCORI-hosted meetings. We appreciate your understanding. We are continuing with preparations for the 2020 PCORI Annual Meeting, scheduled for September 16-17 in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. However, we may have to make appropriate adjustments to our plans, if necessary. We are also working with awardees to support their efforts to convert their planned in-person meetings to all-virtual formats or to postpone or cancel their meetings.
Funding Opportunities and Deadlines: As necessary, we are adjusting the deadlines related to our funding announcements and quickly exploring ways that PCORI can contribute to the evidence base for addressing this public health crisis. Revised deadlines and opportunities are noted in the Funding Opportunities section of our website and in these FAQs.
As we chart our course through these uncertain times together, we affirm PCORI’s ongoing commitment to our core activities of supporting engagement in research and studies that provide information people need to make better-informed healthcare decisions. We will continue to provide updated information and guidance through our website to awardees, applicants, and other stakeholders as the situation develops.
Communities are facing enormous challenges and PCORI is committed to contributing to the important work needed to address the many uncertainties that face us all.