PCORI awards $37 million to implement comparative effectiveness research findings in US health systems

PCORI has awarded funding to 25 US health systems, supporting evidence-based research to advance antibiotic prescribing and weight loss treatments.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has awarded $37 million to support 25 US health systems in implementing comparative effectiveness research (CER) findings through its Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII). These awards will benefit over 2300 care sites across the country, with projects focused on improving antibiotic prescribing practices for children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) and incorporating weight loss treatment programs into primary care settings.

The HSII initiative seeks to, “reduce the often-cited 17-year gap between research publication and clinical adoption,” with PCORI’s Executive Director Nakela L Cook, MD, MPH stating,

“PCORI’s Health Systems Implementation Initiative innovatively bridges the gap between research and practice. By funding projects like these, we are proactively supporting the uptake of evidence from PCORI-funded patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research in clinical settings. This initiative enables clinicians and health systems to not only access but also effectively scale implementation of patient-centered evidence, to improve care delivery and patient outcomes.”

The initiative is expected to impact care for 1.5 million children with ARTIs and more than 50,000 adults participating in weight loss programs.

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Projects focused on antibiotic prescribing

Of the 25 HSII projects, 19 aim to improve antibiotic prescribing for children with ARTIs by implementing findings from a PCORI-funded CER study that showed narrow-spectrum antibiotics are as effective as broad-spectrum ones, with fewer side effects.

AdventHealth received $2.5 million from PCORI to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pediatric care, with a focus on ARTIs. Dr Jeffrey Kuhlman, Chief Quality and Safety Officer at AdventHealth, emphasized the critical need to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions:

“Antibiotic overuse is not just a global issue, it’s a personal one. Every unnecessary prescription puts children at risk for adverse side effects and diminishes the future effectiveness of life-saving medications.”

Intermountain Health received $2.5 million to improve antibiotic prescribing practices across its multi-state service area. The project involves more than 1350 clinicians across 249 pediatric and family medicine clinics, emergency departments, and telehealth services across eight states. JP Valin, MD, chief clinical officer for Intermountain Health, stated, “This project represents the largest, most complex, disciplined implementation of evidence-based practices in antibiotic stewardship, across all regions and in multiple settings.”

Raj Srivastava, MD, chief clinical programs officer for Intermountain Health, added:

“This project represents a significant springboard from which we can improve the care for more than 270,000 children with acute respiratory tract infections by promoting the adoption of evidence-based antibiotic prescribing practices throughout our system.”

WellSpan was awarded nearly $1 million to improve antibiotic prescribing practices for pediatric patients across central Pennsylvania. Dr Michael Seim, Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer for WellSpan Health, remarked, “With this funding award we can quickly put to practice evidence-based research to improve the lives of our youngest patients here in central Pennsylvania. This project will educate clinicians and integrate decision support tools within electronic health records, benefiting approximately 45,000 pediatric patients across 34 clinical sites.”

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) received $1 million to expand its pediatric outpatient antimicrobial stewardship program. The initiative will take place at 52 sites, engaging 376 front-line staff, aiming to reduce antibiotic prescribing for ARTIs by 5%. Jenny Slayton, DNP, RN, Senior Vice President for Quality, Safety, and Risk Prevention at VUMC, stated:

“Resources from this funding award will allow us to expand our pediatric outpatient antibiotic stewardship program to more sites within VUMC and the community while supporting the tool development to sustain our implementation efforts and allow for further expansion to other community sites after the funding period ends.”

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Projects focused on weight loss

The remaining six HSII projects focus on implementing intensive lifestyle treatment programs for weight loss in primary care, based on two PCORI-funded CER studies supporting health coaching and clinic-based group visits as effective interventions to address rising obesity rates.

Jefferson Health received $2.4 million to implement evidence-based weight loss programs across its primary care clinics in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This initiative, led by Jefferson Health President Dr Baligh Yehia, focuses on patient education, coaching, and lifestyle changes. Dr Anna Flattau, co-principal investigator, stated, “In collaboration with our on-the-ground providers, advisory groups, and our colleagues at the Jefferson Collaborative for Health Equity, we will ensure that this program meets the needs of Jefferson’s diverse patient population.” The program will offer tailored coaching on nutrition, physical activity, and social support.

Mercy Health was awarded nearly $3 million by PCORI to launch the Mercy Intensive Lifestyle Treatment for Weight Loss program across 237 primary care clinics in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. This initiative aims to reduce obesity rates and related conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, by offering intensive lifestyle interventions to eligible patients through virtual and in-person options. Eligibility criteria include adults aged 18–85 with a body mass index of 30 or more, and either an active diagnosis of congestive heart failure or a recent hemoglobin A1C level above 9.0. Mercy anticipates that nearly 35,000 of its patients will qualify for the program. JoAnne Levy, Vice President of Mercy Research, stated:

“Mercy’s PCORI funding award enables us to further translate clinical research into patient care.”

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Future outlook

These initiatives have the potential to significantly impact health care, with an estimated 1.5 million children receiving care for ARTIs and more than 50,000 adults benefiting from weight loss programs. These projects represent the first round of HSII funding, with a second round of awards expected in 2025. Since 2010, PCORI has awarded over $4.5 billion in CER funding, continuing its mission to promote evidence-based healthcare practices and improve outcomes across the US.