WASHINGTON, DC — The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) today kicked off a multiyear initiative with an initial investment of $50 million to advance the uptake of practice-changing comparative clinical effectiveness research results into health care practice with the selection of 42 U.S. health systems to participate in its groundbreaking Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII). In addition, PCORI initiated the first in two stages of HSII funding, focusing on initial capacity-building efforts.

The array of participating health systems representing a wide range of care settings and populations will develop and implement viable strategies to actively advance the adoption of new evidence in health care delivery. PCORI’s unique approach of supporting health systems directly in dissemination and implementation expands the organization’s work in this area and demonstrates its leadership in efforts to cut the estimated 17-year lag between the publication of results and their uptake in practice.

"Comparative clinical effectiveness research produces actionable information that helps people make informed health care choices and improve their outcomes, but even the best evidence only works if clinicians and health systems are aware of it and can use it," said PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, M.D., M.P.H. "Leveraging health systems’ on-the-ground knowledge and experience in care delivery will enhance PCORI’s efforts to implement practice-changing findings in clinical care and accelerate sustainable and scalable efforts to support lasting changes."

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In addition to announcing participants, PCORI has opened the first HSII funding opportunity for participating health systems to propose capacity-building projects, with awards to be announced this summer. Each participating health system can receive up to $500,000 for a project that supports preparation for future implementation strategies and program evaluation. Subsequent HSII funding opportunities will support innovative implementation projects that promote the uptake of specific evidence from PCORI-funded research studies within the health systems, with funds ranging from $500,000 to $5 million per project.

HSII participants collectively represent 800 hospitals serving 79 million unique patients—nearly a quarter of the U.S. population—across 41 states and the District of Columbia. They include academic medical centers, community-based systems, integrated health care delivery and finance systems, safety net health systems, faith-based systems, public health care delivery systems, and a medical center within the Veterans Health Administration. See the complete list.

HSII participants will collaborate in a learning network established by PCORI to share experiences and learn from one another about best practices for implementation, evaluation metrics and other topics integral to the initiative’s success. Through the network, PCORI will seek input from network participants on topics and specific findings from PCORI-funded studies that are of interest for future implementation projects.

"HSII provides a unique opportunity for participant health systems with a wide range of capacities and patient populations to adopt evidence-based, care-transforming approaches," said Harv Feldman, M.D., MSCE, PCORI’s deputy executive director for patient-centered research programs. "The vital financial and peer support provided through HSII will not only facilitate the uptake of useful evidence that can improve patient outcomes, but also lay the groundwork for future, nationwide scale-up of successful implementation approaches."