Geisinger physician participating in PCORI-sponsored study on patient-centered kidney care
DANVILLE, PA – Geisinger physician and researcher Jamie Green (right), M.D., is one of a team of clinical researchers participating in a Duke University-led study on how patient-centered health system interventions can help patients make supported and informed decisions about kidney failure treatments. The study is supported by a $5.6 million 2015 funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
“We are working to improve the health and well-being of patients with advanced kidney disease,” explained Dr. Green, a nephrologist and clinical investigator at Geisinger. “This study promises to help patients and families better understand how to actively participate in their care and will build a stronger infrastructure to do that.”
The study, “Putting Patients at the Center of Kidney Care Transitions,” is designed to measure the effectiveness of comprehensive patient-centered interventions to improve patients’ kidney disease care. The study will develop new electronic health record tools, a disease registry, patient navigation, and shared and informed decision-making to improve care.
“This study will help us understand how we can improve healthcare delivery to address several needs patients and their families have as patients’ kidney disease progresses toward kidney failure,” said L. Ebony Boulware, M.D., MPH, Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Duke and the principal investigator of the study. Dr. Boulware is also the director for Duke's Clinical and Translational Science Award.
Dr. Green will co-lead the study, which includes a team of patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and researchers from Geisinger, Duke and Johns Hopkins.
Kidney failure affects more than 115,000 U.S. adults every year. Patients who develop this condition must choose from a variety of treatments, such as dialysis or a kidney transplant, each of which has advantages and disadvantages that may vary depending on the individual.
Unfortunately, kidney failure often occurs before patients are aware of the extent of their illness, forcing them to quickly make decisions with lifelong consequences without being fully prepared or able to make informed decisions.
The study will employ a new care strategy to help patients understand their risks of kidney failure, understand their treatment options, obtain needed support, and choose treatments that are aligned with their personal values. In a randomized controlled trial, researchers will measure the effectiveness on the new care strategy on patients’ outcomes.
The study is one of 46 proposals that PCORI approved for funding on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 to advance the field of comparative clinical effectiveness research and provide patients, healthcare providers, and other clinical decision makers with information that will help them make better informed choices. Applications were assessed for scientific merit, how well they will engage patients and other stakeholders, and their methodological rigor, among other criteria.
PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization, authorized by Congress in 2010, to fund comparative clinical effectiveness research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health and healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.
PCORI has approved $854 million to support 399 research studies and initiatives since it began funding research in 2012. For more information about PCORI funding, visit http://pcori.org.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.