by Tyler Hale
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a $4 million grant to study the digital delivery of health care for patients suffering from heart failure. The grant has been awarded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), a public research funder that focuses on clinical effectiveness research (CER).
Leanne Lefler, Ph.D., is leading the research project, which will be conducted with the support of UAMS’ Institute for Digital Health & Innovation, as well as a community advisory board including the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and the Arkansas affiliate of the American Heart Association.
The research project will track 400 patients with heart failure over the course of six months. The patients will be divided into two groups – one group will receive standard care with in-person doctor appointments, and the second group will receive care through digital methods. These include digital health monitoring and video call appointments.
“This study is all about the needs of patients and how, even when providers do a great job in our current health care system, they can’t always be available when the patient needs them,” Lefler said in a statement.
Lefler will analyze patient and health care provider satisfaction during the study, in terms of how the patients feel about managing their condition and how the physicians feel in terms of caring for the patients.
“We’re not changing medical care in this study. All of our patients will be treated according to national heart failure guidelines,” Lefler said. “We’re looking at changing how that care is delivered, because we need a better model of care.”
When determining the studies it will fund, PCORI focuses on studies that impact conditions that impact large swaths of people across populations, rare diseases, or conditions that “place a heavy burden on individuals, families, specific populations and society.” In addition, the organization focuses on research that impacts racial and ethnic minorities, older adults, low-income individuals, rural areas, women, children and more.
“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 Joe Selby, M.D., M.P.H., executive director of PCORI. “We look forward to following the study’s progress and working with UAMS to share the results.”
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