January and February 2019 Media Mentions

We regularly share highlights from news coverage of our work, including the growing collection of results from our funded studies. Here are some recent examples:

You Can Have a Role to Play in ER Care
US News & World Report, January 2, 2019

Developments in the field of emergency medicine can help patients understand their diagnoses and choices for care, this article reports. It mentions a PCORI-funded project focused on people with low-risk chest pain who visit the emergency department. The piece cites the project’s Chest Pain Choice decision aid as one of the tools that can help improve communication between patients and doctors.

5,000 Women Needed: Study about Breast Cancer Screening Seeks New Jersey Women
NorthJersey.com, January 9, 2019

This article references the recruitment efforts for the PCORI-funded WISDOM study, which focuses on breast cancer screening. Researchers will be testing two types of screening schedules: one based on a woman’s risks and one based on age. The study team is recruiting 100,000 women ages 40-74, who they will study for five years. The team aims to help women and their doctors make decisions about how often women should be screened.

Additional coverage appeared in NJbiz.com.

To Get More Bang for Your Health-Care Buck, Invest in Innovation
Health Affairs Blog, January 24, 2019

Focusing on the cost-effectiveness of medical and non-medical interventions, this blog post calls for a balanced conversation about innovation. It suggests building the capacity of patient organizations as one of four ways that “policymakers can continue to encourage health-improving medical innovation.” The piece mentions PCORI as one of the organizations to consider supporting in this effort, stating that the institute, “has the potential to help disease foundations develop their research infrastructures and be strong partners in the biomedical ecosystem.”

A “LinkedIn for Cancer” Helps Myeloma Patients Find Help – and Hope
freethink, January 25, 2019

This blog post features a website called HealthTree, the creation of Jenny Ahlstrom, a patient who had multiple myeloma. The site allows patients with myeloma to enter their own health data anonymously, view potential treatment options, and perform customized searches of open clinical trials. The blog post quotes PCORI Director of Public and Patient Engagement, Kristin L. Carman, PhD, MA, “You can’t generate evidence on patient-focused outcomes without asking patients and their caregivers what matters most to them, and without involving them in shaping studies,” she says.

How Can Healthcare Improve Care for High-Need, High-Risk Patients? Just Ask Them
Fierce Healthcare, February 12, 2019

This article, which focuses on incorporating patients’ needs and their suggestions on how to meet them into all aspects of patient care, highlights a New York State-based research network that PCORI supports. The network is a collaboration of 22 institutions, including health systems, medical colleges, and patient organizations that will enable clinical data sharing across New York City and support patient-centered research.

Life After Cancer: More Survivors Live Longer, Face New Health Challenges
USA Today, February 13, 2019

This piece focuses on long-term cancer survivorship and the need for follow-up care to address health needs, including long-term side effects from treatment and the development of new cancers. The article features Neeraj Arora, PhD, PCORI’s Associate Director for Science, a 25-year survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “Strides have been made, but there’s also been an acceleration in the demand,” Arora says.

How Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Might Influence Social Determinants in Health
AHCJ Covering Health, February 14, 2019

In this blog post for members of the Association of Health Care Journalists, Emily Willingham, discusses the use of technology in health care. She highlights ways that technology can be used to improve access to health care, especially for those living in rural areas. The post mentions PCORI’s research portfolio on telehealth.

Stay tuned for more media highlights of our work.