Larry Allen, MD, a cardiologist with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, has received $7 million in funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to investigate the use of electronic resources among heart failure patients.
The study is expected to last five years and include a total of five health systems. It could enroll as many as 2,000 patients.
While $2.5 million will go to the University of Colorado, $2.5 million will go to the four other health systems: Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut, Northwestern Medicine in Illinois, University of Utah Health and Sutter Health in California. The final $2 million will help fund the actual development and structure of the study.
“Heart failure is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States, especially among older people,” Allen said in a prepared statement announcing the news. “It’s a significant problem. It’s associated with many symptoms, like shortness of breath and a lot of fatigue. It’s the most common cause of hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries.”
Allen’s research will focus on two electronic resources designed to help heart failure patients. The first is EPIC-HF, a video and checklist designed for patients to view before visiting a cardiac clinic. The other focus of the study will be PROMPT-HF, which sends messages to physicians designed to help them make treatment decisions.
While both resources have already been linked to improved care, utilization has been slow. The researchers hope to use a “compare and contrast” study to research different ways the electronic tools can be modified so that they are easier to use for healthcare providers and patients alike. Is the slow utilization due to issues with how the resources were implemented? Could it be an issue with how health systems are communicating with patients? Allen and his team hope to answer these questions and many more.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.