Temple University School of Medicine and Treatment Research Institute Approved for a Funding Award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Temple University School of Medicine and Treatment Research Institute have been approved for a more than $2 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the use of specialized community disease management to reduce substance use and hospital readmissions. The selected study is one of 82 proposals approved for PCORI funding last fall to advance the field of patient-centered comparative effectiveness research and provide patients with information that will help them make better-informed decisions about their care.
 
As a result of CMS Policy revisions, medical systems are working to evolve community disease management strategies to help patients transition their care after discharge from hospital stays. Under the direction of Adam Brooks, PhD, Senior Research Scientist at Treatment Research Institute, the study will adapt evidence-based interventions into a specialized community disease management program. This program is designed specifically for patients with substance use disorders who are ambivalent about addiction treatment or face significant barriers to engaging in treatment.
 
"Hospitalized patients with SUDs face significant complications in their medical care and require specialized follow-up care and disease management," said Dr. Adam Brooks. "There is an enormous opportunity within our current healthcare system to adapt appropriate disease management for these patients. With the potential to improve health outcomes and service utilization, this transition will also reduce readmissions and overall costs to the system."
 
The study will evaluate whether this approach can improve outcomes for hospitalized patients at Temple University Hospital versus using an existing disease management program after hospital discharge. Conducted in collaboration with the Center for Population Health and the Department of Psychiatry at Temple University Hospital, this study will address the need for hospital systems to provide dedicated attention to patients with substance use disorders. Mary F. Morrison, MD, MS, Vice Chairperson for Research and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Steven R. Carson, RN, BSN, MHA, Vice President for Clinical Integration for Temple University Health System, will provide leadership for the intervention at Temple University Hospital.
 
"We are excited to have the opportunity to be a part of this study and to offer personalized care for Temple University Hospital patients with substance use disorders who are contemplating treatment," said Dr. Mary Morrison. "We look forward to working with Treatment Research Institute and our community advisors to create a successful program of care."
 
The specialized, targeted interventions of this study are built around evidence-based approaches developed by the Treatment Research Institute, and encompass the values of the organization’s mission to translate research into improved policies to address the devastating effects of substance abuse on families, schools, businesses, criminal justice and healthcare.
 
"This project was selected for PCORI funding not only for its scientific merit and commitment to engaging patients and other stakeholders, but also for its potential to fill an important gap in our health knowledge and give people information to help them weigh the effectiveness of their care options," said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH. "We look forward to following the study's progress and working with Treatment Research Institute and Temple to share the results."
 
The study and the other projects approved for funding by PCORI's Board of Governors on December 17 were selected from 624 applications submitted to PCORI's funding announcements. All were selected through a highly competitive review process in which patients, caregivers, and other stakeholders joined scientists to evaluate the proposals. Applications were assessed for scientific merit, how well they will engage patients and other stakeholders, and their methodological rigor among other criteria.
 
This collaborative Treatment Research Institute and Temple study joins PCORI's expanding portfolio, which now includes 279 patient-centered CER studies and initiatives. PCORI has awarded a total of $464.4 million since it began funding CER in 2012. For more information about PCORI funding, visit http://pcori.org/funding-opportunities.