Cleveland Clinic selected for nationwide initiative to translate research to patient care

Joins 41 other U.S. health systems to carry out multi-year Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute funded initiative

Grant and Award Announcement

CLEVELAND CLINIC

March 7, 2023, Cleveland: The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has chosen Cleveland Clinic for a nationwide initiative to improve how healthcare systems translate research findings to clinical practice.

PCORI’s Health Systems Implementation Initiative connects 42 healthcare systems to reduce the time it takes to move a discovery in research to a new treatment for patients – an estimated 17-year lag. PCORI has committed an initial investment of up to $50 million to support the initiative.

Healthcare systems that are part of the initiative will propose projects that implement findings from PCORI-funded research, which includes more than 800 research studies focused on patient care. This is the nonprofit’s first time offering this type of implementation funding.

“We know it takes years to move a scientific discovery into clinical practice. Now, PCORI is providing the resources,” said Anita Misra-Hebert, M.D., M.P.H., director of Cleveland Clinic’s Healthcare Delivery and Implementation Science Center. “These health systems can also benefit from learning how others accelerate this process, continuously improving and tailoring care to benefit patients.”

Research funding provides data on how to improve treatment, recovery and healthcare maintenance, as well as the predictive tools and structures healthcare systems use to deliver services. Implementing the findings requires additional money, training and infrastructure, which is where health systems can hit roadblocks.

PCORI is offering a first phase of funding to build capacity for upcoming implementation projects – up to $500,000 per health system. Healthcare systems will then pitch implementation projects for the second phase of funding, which will range from $500,000 to $5 million per project.

In 2019, Cleveland Clinic launched the Healthcare Delivery and Implementation Science Center, which serves as a systemwide resource for research implementation, connecting researchers with operations leadership. The center offers consultation and education programs, and funds implementation projects through grants. Accepted projects include using 3-D models in imaging, prenatal testing during COVID-19, and using data to predict readmission risk.

Dr. Misra-Hebert is co-lead on programs through the Health Systems Implementation Initiative with Beri Ridgeway, M.D., Cleveland Clinic’s Chief of Staff. “One of the key aspects of implementing new programs or standardizing care is translating knowledge generated from research into real world practice,” said Dr. Misra-Hebert

“This initiative allows us to continue building infrastructure that will further expedite the adoption and implementation of scientific discoveries,” said Dr. Ridgeway.

Participants in the initiative collectively represent 800 hospitals serving 79 million unique patients across 41 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to health systems, participants include academic medical centers, community-based health systems, integrated healthcare 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 full list on PCORI’s website.

Health Systems Implementation Initiative is part of a portfolio of PCORI-funded efforts that aim to improve the awareness, uptake and use of results from patient-centered comparative effectiveness research. PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization that funds comparative clinical effectiveness research, which provides patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence to make better-informed health and healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.

 

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 72,500 employees worldwide are more than 5,050 salaried physicians and researchers, and 17,800 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,500-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 22 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2021, there were 10.2 million total outpatient visits, 304,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 259,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

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