Dr. Zygmont and colleagues have provided a timely special report in this issue of Academic Radiology describing the opportunities for patient-centered outcomes research in radiology provided by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The special report ably summarizes the opportunities for radiology research in the framework of PCORI, with key insights regarding the focus and methodology developed by PCORI. This special report is a critical tool to aid radiology research leaders navigating the rapidly evolving patient-centered healthcare environment.
The PCORI mission statement frames the pivot from researcher-centered research to patient-centered research:
“PCORI helps people make informed healthcare decisions, and improves healthcare delivery and outcomes, by producing and promoting high-integrity, evidence-based information that comes from research guided by patients, caregivers, and the broader healthcare community.”
PCORI fosters patient-centered comparative effectiveness research with a relentless focus on patient and caregiver engagement. For a research proposal to be highly ranked by the PCORI reviewers, patients and caregiver stakeholders must be fully engaged throughout the research cycle: from development of research topics and questions, through creation of research methodology, acquisition of data, analysis, through dissemination and communication of research study findings to healthcare providers and affected patients and stakeholders. During my service as PCORI Merit Reviewer, I was impressed by the relentless focus of the PCORI reviewer panels on strong, effective patient and caregiver engagement from the beginning of a research proposal to the planned dissemination of results. Successful PCORI project proposals are extraordinarily patient centric and caregiver centric in their development, execution, and dissemination of results.
Patients, caregivers, and other public stakeholders are at the center of the PCORI process, assisted by healthcare providers and researchers. The pivot of the patient to the center of healthcare decision-making is a manifestation of the evolving healthcare consumerism movement in the United States.
Consumerism has several divergent, conflicting definitions. One common definition is that consumerism is the social order promoting the greedy collection and acquisition of products and services, frequently termed economic materialism. In this context, consumerism is considered a marketing-driven economic force that harms society and discourages generosity and altruism by tapping into the conscious and unconscious needs of people through manipulative marketing. A less pejorative definition defines consumerism as a form of capitalism where the consumer is the principle driver of the market economy. Products and services are developed to meet consumers’ needs and desires. Successful providers in this model meet the evolving needs and desires of their client consumers.
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References
1. Zygmont M.E., Lam D.L., Nowitzki K.M., et. al.: Opportunities for patient-centered outcomes research in radiology. Acad Radiol 2015; in press
2. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. “About us.” pcori.org: http://www.pcori.org/about-us . Accessed October 16, 2015.
3. Robinson J.C.: Managed consumerism in health care. Health Aff 2005; 24: pp. 1478-1489.
4. Coughlin S., Wordham J., Jonash B.: Rising consumerism: winning the hearts and minds of healthcare consumers. Deloitte Review Issue 16; Available at http://www.dupress.com/articles/consumerism-health-care/ Accessed October 17, 2015
5. Topol E.J.: The patient will see you now: the future of medicine is in your hands.2015.Basic Books.New York
6. Itri J.N.: Patient-centered radiology. Radiographics 2015; 35: pp. 1835-1848.