The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute has announced grants totaling $49.5 million for clinical effectiveness research (CER) studies aimed at improving care for adults and children across a range of health conditions.

The grants will fund nine new CER studies, including three focused on telehealth and mobile health strategies. Grants totaling $23.5 million were awarded in support of studies to assess the effectiveness of two mobile health (mHealth) technologies at helping people quit smoking, compared with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); of an online class that teaches pain relief skills to help people manage chronic pain, compared with CBT; and of a real-time remote yoga program in helping people with mild to moderate depression, compared with behavioral activation via video conference or phone.

Other projects that were awarded grants include a trial to compare the effectiveness in relieving pain and the associated harm of a low-dose opioid regimen with those of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs regimen in patients recovering at home after low-risk surgery; a study to determine whether detecting and treating genital herpes infection early in pregnancy reduces the chances of birth-related health problems among African Americans and other racial disparities in maternal outcomes; and a study of two peer group interventions for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities — one focused on support and information sharing and one with additional advocacy skills training — to determine which best improves health outcomes for the youth and their parents.

“With the explosion of telehealth, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, studies assessing how well telehealth strategies work in different contexts are highly relevant for many Americans, and we look forward to the insights gleaned from these studies as well as all the other newly approved research projects,” said PCORI executive director Nakela L. Cook. “Additionally, we are pleased that PCORI is expanding its research portfolio in two priority areas with today’s approval for a new study on reducing disparities in maternal health and a new study on improving care for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

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