PCORI Convenes Workshops to Refine Research Agenda

Washington, D.C. – The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will host two workshops early next month to solicit input from patients, researchers and other healthcare stakeholders on its draft process for generating and selecting specific research topics. On December 4, PCORI will hold a workshop called “What Should PCORI Study? A Call for Topics from Patients and Stakeholders.” The event will solicit recommendations from a diverse group of healthcare stakeholders for specific topics to consider for funding and feedback on PCORI’s plans for engaging stakeholders in the research process.

On December 5, the institute will host the “PCORI Research Prioritization Methods Workshop.” During this event, research methodologists, patients and other stakeholders will share best practices for improving research prioritization methods and help PCORI refine its proposed prioritization process to see that it addresses the needs of patients and those who care for them. “These workshops are an important element of our ongoing effort to select and fund research on specific topics that will be most relevant and useful to patients, their caregivers and clinicians,” said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH. “We look forward to working closely with the entire healthcare community to advance our goal of improving patient outcomes through rigorous comparative effectiveness research. Both workshops will be held in Alexandria, Va. Attendance is limited, but those unable to attend in person can participate in a free webcast and submit questions via email.

The events are part of a series of workshops being held this fall to obtain input from patients, researchers are other stakeholders on PCORI’s process for generating and selecting specific research topics for further study. Once implemented, the process will lead to topic-specific funding announcements that correspond to the priorities outlined in PCORI’s National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda and complement PCORI’s broad Funding Announcements. An archived version of the webcast from the previous workshop in the series, “Transforming Patient-Centered Research: Building Partnerships and Promising Models,” is available on the PCORI website.