Methods Blogs

Keeping Our Research Standards Up to Date

Failure to follow good research practices can result in studies that don’t provide findings useful for informing clinical decisions. To avoid such wasted effort, PCORI’s authorizing law required that our research program be based on rigorous scientific methods and that we develop a set of standards...
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Important Changes to Our Methods Program Funding Announcement

Published: 
July 25, 2016
Author(s): 
David Hickam, MD, MPH,
Jason Gerson, PhD,
Emily Evans, PhD, MPH
Blog Topics: 
Research
Methods Blogs
Application Process
Supporting methodological research to improve the design and conduct of patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) is a priority for PCORI and outlined in our authorizing law . This commitment reflects our view that "Methods Matter" and that they are necessary for the development and synthesis of...
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New and Improved Methodology Standards: Let Us Know What You Think

Published: 
March 1, 2016
Author(s): 
David Hickam, MD, MPH,
Joe V. Selby, MD, MPH
Blog Topics: 
Research
Methods Blogs
Executive Director's Blog
At PCORI, we know that when it comes to research, methods matter. Patients, clinicians, and other healthcare stakeholders won’t fully trust the results of PCORI-funded research if we can’t vouch for the way the projects were conducted. To help ensure that everyone can have confidence in the results...
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What's New in PCORI's Latest Funding Announcements?

Published: 
October 12, 2015
Author(s): 
James Hulbert,
Kristen Metzger, MPA, MSCJ,
Tsahai Tafari, PhD,
Blog Topics: 
Research
Methods Blogs
Merit Review Blogs
Engagement Blogs
Application Process
PCORI has completed eight cycles of research funding since our inception. We very much appreciate the time and resources that our applicants commit when proposing projects to us and that our reviewers devote to evaluating applications. So with each cycle, we work to improve and refine our processes...
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What's New in PCORI's Cycle 2 2015 Funding Announcements: Improving Methods for Conducting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

Published: 
July 7, 2015
Author(s): 
Jason Gerson, PhD,
Emily Evans, PhD, MPH,
Andrea Heckert, PhD, MPH,
Blog Topics: 
Research
Methods Blogs
Each funding cycle, we at PCORI update our announcements to ensure we support projects that address critical research gaps. In this blog post, we address changes to the Cycle 2 2015 announcement related to improving methods for conducting patient-centered outcomes research. A subsequent post will...
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Developing Methods to Engage Patients and Other Stakeholders in Research Prioritization

Published: 
May 18, 2015
Author(s): 
Katherine McQueston, MPH,
Andrea Heckert, PhD, MPH
Blog Topics: 
Methods Blogs
When a research team first chooses specific questions for a study, the options may seem endless. Scientists and funders have traditionally been in the driver’s seat in determining research topics, but this is not always the most patient-centered approach. For example, recent reviews of studies of...
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Avoiding "Waste" in Research: Why Methods Matter

Published: 
May 7, 2015
Author(s): 
Emily Evans, PhD, MPH,
Katherine McQueston, MPH,
Jason Gerson, PhD
Blog Topics: 
Research
Methods Blogs
Limitations in the design, implementation, and analysis of clinical research can produce biased study results that could have serious consequences for patients. For example, common methodological problems may overestimate benefits of treatments and underestimate risks. Getting the methods right is...
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Putting Research to Work for Individual Patients

Published: 
March 5, 2015
Author(s): 
Emily Evans, PhD, MPH,
Katherine McQueston, MPH
Blog Topics: 
Methods Blogs
Not all patients will react to a medical treatment in the same way. A treatment that works well for some patients may be ineffective, or even harmful, for others. And that often makes it difficult for patients and clinicians to make informed health and healthcare decisions. One reason for this is...
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Missing Data in PCOR Studies: Funding Methodological Research to Address a Pervasive Problem

Published: 
February 6, 2015
Author(s): 
Jason Gerson, PhD
Blog Topics: 
Research
Methods Blogs
Researchers conducting clinical trials or observational studies often find that they are missing data. A clinician forgets to order a test, a technician fails to record a result, a patient drops out of the study. When it comes time to analyze the data, these gaps complicate the task. To reach...
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Meeting Up to Promote Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

Published: 
November 14, 2014
Author(s): 
Jaye Bea Smalley, MPA
Blog Topics: 
Methods Blogs
Engagement Blogs
Partnerships are basic to PCORI. In pursuing our mission to fund research that will improve the nation’s health outcomes, we know we can’t act alone. We work closely with patients, clinicians, and other healthcare stakeholders, as well as the organizations that represent them, to see that their...
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