Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Announces an Award of $1.8 Million to OCHIN, Inc. to Study Methods for Parents and Clinics to Create Tools for Better Kids' Care

OCHIN's Project is Part of PCORI's Effort to Help Patients Make Better-Informed Health Decisions

PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- OCHIN Inc., a national non-profit health center controlled network (HCCN) in collaboration with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), has been approved for a research award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study "Innovative Methods for Parents and Clinics to Create Tools (IMPACCT) for Kids' Care. The project is part of a portfolio of patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research that addresses PCORI's National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda.

Jenifer Devoe, M.D., DPhil, is a physician at OHSU's Gabriel Park Clinic, an associate professor in OHSU's Family Medicine Research Section and OCHIN's research director. Dr. Devoe is the principal investigator for OCHIN's research project that will focus on the creation of a partnership with community stakeholders to develop and assess computer/online tools designed to impact how clinics and families engage to improve children's health insurance coverage and receipt of recommended care. OCHIN's Practice Based Research Network (PBRN) includes 70 community based clinic networks and a subset of parents and providers from these clinics are anxious to get started with the study.

"Today marks a major milestone in our work as we build a portfolio of comparative clinical effectiveness research that will provide patients and those who care for them better information about the health care decisions they face," said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, M.D., M.P.H.  "These research projects reflect PCORI's patient-centered research agenda, emphasizing the inclusion of patients and caregivers at all stages of the research."

PCORI is committing $40.7 million in funding for a slate of 25 projects, which were approved by PCORI's Board of Governors following a competitive, multi-stage review process involving scientists, patients, caregivers and other stakeholders. Proposals were evaluated on the basis of scientific merit, engagement of patients and stakeholders, methodological rigor and fit within PCORI's National Priorities for Research and Research Agenda.  

The awards were part of PCORI's first cycle of primary research funding and selected from among nearly 500 completed applications submitted earlier this year. All proposals were approved pending a business and programmatic review by PCORI staff and completion of a formal award contract.

"If computer tools built in this study are proven to work well, they will help clinics and families improve health insurance coverage and health care for children," DeVoe said. "This study will take place in a large network of community health centers, so we will be able to quickly spread the tools to more than 500,000 families in our network. We will build the tools in a way that they can be used by many other clinics with computer capabilities."

For more information about PCORI's Funding Announcements, visit www.pcori.org/funding-opportunities. For more information about OCHIN Research and OHSU visit www.ochin.org and www.ohsu.edu.

About PCORI
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health care decisions. PCORI is committed to continuously seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work. More information is available at www.pcori.org.

About OCHIN
OCHIN is a non-profit national leader in quality health information technology software and services focused on community health centers serving low-income individuals.  Its 70 member collaborative has over 400 individual clinics spanning 14 states. OCHIN is also, Oregon's Health Information Technology Extension Center (O-HITEC) designed to support providers as they transition into the world of Health IT. Currently, OCHIN supports over 4,500 individual medical providers. With a staff of predominately systems software and health care professionals, OCHIN provides high-quality software products and supportive services to health centers, critical access hospitals, and small private practices serving some of the most medically complex patients in their communities. For more information please see www.ochin.org.

About OHSU 
Oregon Health & Science University is the state's only academic health and research university. As Portland's largest employer with approximately 14,000 employees, OHSU's size contributes to its ability to provide many services and community support not found anywhere else in the state. OHSU serves patients from every corner of Oregon and is a conduit for learning for more than 4,300 students and trainees. OHSU is the source of more than 200 community outreach programs that bring health and education services to each county in the state. www.ohsu.edu

Media Contacts:

Ruby Haughton-Pitts
OCHIN Communications
[email protected]
503.784.2284

Jim Newman
OHSU Communications
[email protected]
503.494.8231

SOURCE OCHIN