The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has announced commitments totaling $113 million in support of new research opportunities focused on equity in maternal health and telehealth for care of complex conditions.

Commitments include up to $63 million for research conducted by partnerships between clinical research teams and community organizations on how best to address disparities in maternal health outcomes with aims to support research addressing both clinical and social factors driving disparities. The remaining $50 million will support research on using telehealth to improve management of multiple chronic conditions with a goal to help the healthcare community better understand how to leverage the widespread use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve care for individuals with complex chronic needs, particularly those in vulnerable populations.

In addition to the funding announcement, PCORI approved a strategic plan that provides a roadmap for PCORI’s future funding of patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) as well as stakeholder engagement, dissemination, and implementation of research results, and investments to enhance the nation’s CER infrastructure. The plan will be made available on PCORI’s website in the next few days.

“Healthcare options have never been more plentiful than they are today, which presents unique challenges for patients seeking reliable information to inform their decisions,” said PCORI executive director Nakela L. Cook. “PCORI’s strategic plan is a holistic approach to generating and promoting CER evidence designed to enable a more patient-centered system of health. We look forward to building new partnerships, strengthening existing relationships, and developing enhanced engagement approaches to achieve our mission.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Nicholas)