The PCORI Strategic Plan: Patient Centered CER

Funding patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) means funding research that addresses questions important to patients and other healthcare stakeholders, through studies that generate evidence meaningful to those who need this information to make health and healthcare decisions.

PCORI will leverage new and existing funding approaches and solicit stakeholders’ research ideas for studies that align with our mission and National Priorities for Health as well as targeted topics for research funding identified with in-depth stakeholder input.

PCORI's Research Agenda

PCORI’s Research Agenda provides the framework for how we will advance the National Priorities for Health through CER funding. The Research Agenda will inform and guide the development of a portfolio of patient-centered CER projects that address unmet evidence needs, but it will not specify individual research topics or projects.

It consists of six statements describing the complementary, broad areas of research that PCORI will prioritize to progress the National Priorities for Health.

Learn more about how PCORI developed its Research Agenda.

Research Project Agenda

The Research Agenda is intended to guide PCORI in considering CER opportunities important to include within an evolving Research Project Agenda of topics to pursue through our work.

In developing the Research Project Agenda, PCORI will extend and build a portfolio of funded research topics relevant to addressing the National Priorities for Health. Among the research areas pursued will continue to be two priority topics highlighted within the 2019 reauthorization of PCORI funding: intellectual and developmental disabilities and maternal morbidity and mortality. These priority topics align with the focus in the research that we fund on particular populations and subpopulations.

Our work also will continue to enable the studies we fund to consider, as appropriate, the full range of outcomes data, including the potential burdens and economic impacts of healthcare services.

With the benefit of ongoing opportunities for stakeholder feedback, we will continuously update the Research Project Agenda so it remains relevant to stakeholders’ evidence needs and takes advantage of emerging research opportunities. Information and updates about the Research Project Agenda will be shared with the public through our website and other dissemination channels to promote transparency. PCORI will identify and prioritize potential research topics to advance the National Priorities for Health through a transparent process that will be guided by considerations such as the following:

• Incidence, prevalence, and burdens on individuals and the healthcare system
• Gaps in evidence in terms of the full range of relevant outcomes, including clinical and patient-centered outcomes, practice variation, health disparities, or economic impacts of healthcare services, etc.
• Stakeholder interests and urgencies, particularly with regard to patient needs, outcomes, and preferences
• Potential for evidence generated to improve health, well-being, or quality of care
• Potential for PCORI to contribute to and within the research ecosystem in ways other research funders may not

Through our Research Project Agenda-setting activities, including regular stakeholder input about research and information needs, we will identify opportunities that would benefit from different approaches as well as shorter-term options. In addition to funded CER or implementation studies, PCORI will develop information resources, such as systematic reviews, evidence maps and visualizations, rapid reviews, and other materials to meet stakeholder needs for information to support timely decision making.