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
'It's Nonjudgmental Support': Breathing Easier with the Healthy Lungs Program
Comparing approaches to help longtime smokers quit smoking for good.
'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.
Preventing Postpartum Depression Closer to Home
A PCORI-funded study compares the effectiveness of prevention programs led by lay home visitors and mental health professionals that teach mothers-to-be the skills to improve their moods and bond with their babies.
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.
Engagement Awards Teams Ride Momentum to Research Projects
The Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards build communities to participate in patient-centered outcomes research. But three Engagement Awards teams are doing more than participating in research—they are conducting it.
Coordinated Treatment Planning Shows Promise for Patients with Lung Cancer
People with lung cancer need several specialists for treatment. A PCORI-funded project found that with up-front treatment planning among the different specialists, patients get treatment that is more appropriate for their cancer’s severity.
Choosing the Right Breast Cancer Treatment
Research team aims to understand the effects of choosing double mastectomy on women’s cancer distress and body image.
Improving Health in the Mississippi Delta through Powerful Engagement
A PCORI Engagement Award enables a cancer awareness and prevention program to expand its reach within rural, largely African-American communities facing high cancer rates.
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.
Tackling Chronic Pain While Reducing Opioid Use
A health system in Washington instituted a clinical plan that has succeeded in lowering patients’ opioid doses, according to a PCORI-funded study.
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?
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.
Considering Patient Concerns during Trauma Care
Urgent treatment of serious injuries traditionally focuses on saving lives and limbs. Adding efforts to address individual patients’ needs may improve the experience and its outcomes.
Enlisting the Brain in the Fight against Pain
A project in Alabama takes a down-to-earth approach in teaching patients to think differently and cope more effectively with chronic pain. It may alleviate depression, too.
To Stay at Home, Older Adults Should Plan Ahead
Many Americans fail to plan for the health events that commonly occur when they reach their 80s, 90s, or 100s. Researchers are working with older adults to develop a tool that helps them have a voice in what happens as their health needs grow.
Helping Families Make a Big Decision -- Fast -- about a Child's Appendicitis
While the traditional treatment is surgery to remove the appendix, antibiotics have emerged as an alternative. When both treatments are medically appropriate, an iPad app might help families quickly decide which option is best for their them.
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.
Medication Choices Based on Data, Not Fear
Researchers are investigating how patients with inflammatory bowel disease weigh treatment benefits and risks—and then are using that information to consider differences between two types of drugs.
Under One Roof: Pulling Specialists Together to Improve Lung Cancer Care
Treatment of lung cancer requires the services of several specialists. A Memphis project is examining whether patient outcomes improve when care providers come together in a coordinated program.
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 Healthcare Outcomes in Rural Settings
Compared to the rest of the nation, rural America bears a disparate burden of healthcare challenges. Americans living in rural areas suffer from higher rates of chronic disease and have higher rates of disability or death due to unintentional injury.
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.
