PCORI Stories
What does patient-centered research look like in the field? These short features provide a glimpse into the workings of the studies and projects we support. Hear from researchers what it’s like to partner with patients and other stakeholders, and from patients about being part of a research team.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 results
'You Have to Meet People Where They Are to Help Them': Patient Advisors Guide Successful Diabetes Self-Management Study
Comparing individually tailored text messages with other approaches to encourage people with diabetes to take care of themselves.
Empowering the Marshallese Community in Managing Type 2 Diabetes
New research shows tailoring diabetes education to meet cultural needs can significantly improve blood sugar levels in Marshallese patients with type 2 diabetes.
Health Risks for Each Individual, Not for the Average Patient
Study results often predict the benefit a treatment could have for the average patient. A PCORI-funded project is using personal health characteristics to move beyond averages and predict the benefit a treatment could have for individual patients.
Kentucky Community Fights Back against Cardiovascular Disease
In a region where cardiovascular disease risk is extremely high, a combination of self-management classes taught by trained community health workers and buy-in from community leaders led to a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.
Research to Help People with Serious Mental Illnesses Improve Their Health
People with serious mental illnesses often struggle to receive care to address common chronic physical health problems. PCORI-funded research projects are testing ways to help people with serious mental illness get the physical health care they need.
A Less-Invasive Way to Replace a Heart Valve: Is Newer Better?
A nonsurgical method to replace the aortic valve turned out as safe as surgery and allowed more patients to go home from the hospital, rather than to a nursing home or rehabilitation facility.
Engaging with Families Is Key to Addressing Childhood Obesity
Tailored coaching and educational text messages for families, as well as clinical decision support tools for pediatric providers, seemed to help children with obesity and those who are overweight lower their body mass indexes.
Can Telehealth Improve Care?
Telehealth has the potential to provide access to care for a wide variety of populations that are now underserved. Two PCORI-funded studies are using telehealth in different ways to test its potential.
Preventing Life-Threatening Blood Clots
A study finds success in educating hospitalized patients about the importance of preventive treatment.
Finding the Keys to a Longer, Better Life after Stroke
Patients who have a stroke often receive medications to prevent a recurrence. Researchers are using medical records and new patient-reported data to examine the benefits and risks of these treatments.
Does a Personalized Approach Help Young People Manage Type 1 Diabetes?
Staying on top of blood sugar levels is of utmost importance for people with type 1 diabetes. For children and teens, can group-based self-management resources tailored to their needs help?
Fighting Weight Gain in Children and Teens Who Take Bipolar Disorder Medications
Can a diabetes drug, along with lifestyle changes, keep off extra pounds and improve quality of life?
Home-Based Care for Chronic Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is rampant among Zuni Indians. Researchers test a novel home-based care model to combat the epidemic.
Helping Patients with Chest Pain Make Decisions in the ER
Emergency physicians often recommend—or urge—monitoring and further testing when they see patients with chest pain, even if they haven’t had a heart attack. A study shows benefits of patients’ and doctors’ using a decision aid to guide next steps.
Between Clinicians and Patients, Trained Community Members May Provide a Key Link
Community health workers and patient navigators work to lower barriers patients may face in receiving care and following treatment plans. PCORI-funded studies are testing whether lay people on clinical teams make a measurable difference.
At Teenagers' Checkups, Height, Weight--and Cholesterol?
How do adolescents, and their parents, feel about screenings for high cholesterol—and will screening lead to treatment that improves health?
Learning from the Success Stories
What are the best approaches for addressing children’s weight problems? Researchers are looking to families for solutions that have succeeded.
In Care Transitions, a Chance to Make or Break Patients' Recovery
Poorly executed transitions between healthcare settings—for example, from hospital to home or a nursing facility—can harm patients and lead to additional hospital visits. PCORI is funding projects to improve transitional care.
Improving Patient-Nurse Communication to Prevent a Life-Threatening Complication
Hospitalized patients are at increased risk for potentially fatal blood clots in their legs and lungs; a Baltimore team is exploring how to ensure wider use of preventive measures.
What Do Patients and Caregivers Want In Mobile Health Apps? Ask Them
Julie Singer struggles to manage her husband’s health and treatments as he recovers from a stroke; researchers are consulting with patients and caregivers as a first step in developing new mobile tools for stroke survivors.
Take as Directed (or Why Not?)
William Vinacco decided not to take his newly prescribed blood pressure medicine; a Boston team is devising tools to help patients talk to their doctors to address concerns that might have led to that choice.
Transforming Community-Based Research on the High Plains
Research reports can be difficult to understand; a “Boot Camp Translation” project in Colorado makes evidence-based recommendations accessible for diverse communities.
Tablet Tool Harnesses Data from Many Patients for Individual Choices
When Rosalinda Leblanc was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004, she didn’t know what path to take; California experts in MS are now devising a digital portal to predict disease course and guide medication choice.