Research & Technology

Corewell Health participates in national effort to expedite delivery of proven research results to doctors, patients

SOUTHFIELD and GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 2, 2023 – Corewell Health is one of 42 health systems nationwide that has been selected to investigate strategies that will cut the time it takes for published and proven research results to be made available in the clinical setting.

The work is part of a pioneering initiative developed by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, or PCORI, an independent, non-profit organization that funds research that may help patients, caregivers and clinicians make better-informed health decisions for improved patient outcomes.

Currently, there’s an estimated 17-year lag time between publication of potentially life-changing research results and when they are adopted in a doctor’s office and affect patient care.

As a participant in PCORI’s Health Systems Implementation Initiative (HSII), Corewell Health will bring its own, on-the-ground experience and expertise in health care delivery to develop and implement strategies that will help decrease this lag time.

“Put simply, participation in this initiative will translate published research into useful data so physicians can deliver the right care at the right time to the right patients,” said Tricia Baird, MD, vice president of care coordination for Corewell Health. “As we discover new ways to solve long-standing problems in complex medical care, this partnership with PCORI makes a lot of sense.”

Dr. Baird will lead a team of physicians and researchers with Dave Chesla, senior director of research and development at Corewell Health. In the first stage of the initiative, participating health systems can receive up to $500,000 for a project that leads to decreased lag times. A second round of funding will support the practical, innovative and evidence-based projects that are best positioned to lead to results. Second-round funding will range from $500,000 to $5 million per project.

In addition, through the HSII Learning Network, Corewell Health and other participants will share experiences and learn from one another about best practices, evaluation metrics and other topics. Through the network, participants will provide input to PCORI on topics and findings of interest for future projects.

For example, Corewell Health recently published evidence in the journal NEJM Catalyst on decreasing hospital readmission rates for patients at greatest risk for a return to the hospital, resulting in improved care and lower costs. “We would like to scale this successful work to more locations and more patients with differing recovery challenges,” Dr. Baird said.

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. In addition to health systems like Corewell Health, they include academic medical centers, community-based 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.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with Corewell Health and the other health systems participating in this groundbreaking initiative that will leverage their knowledge and experience to facilitate practice change and improve care based on results of PCORI-funded research,” said PCORI Executive Director Nakela L. Cook, MD, MPH. “The HSII participants’ efforts will lay the groundwork for future expansion and broader implementation by demonstrating pathways to uptake and sharing lessons learned across health systems.”

 

About Corewell Health™

People are at the heart of everything we do, and the inspiration for our legacy of outstanding outcomes, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with an exceptional team of 60,000+ dedicated people—including more than 11,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,000 nurses providing care and services in 22 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.2 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org

About the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

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.

Contact:
Sarina Gleason
Media Relations
Phone: 517.256.5618
Email: sarina.gleason@corewellhealth.org