The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), established by the ACA, is seeking public comment on its working definition of “Patient-Centered Outcomes Research” (PCOR) to help focus the panel’s comparative effectiveness efforts. Under the working definition, PCOR “helps people make informed health care decisions and allows their voice to be heard in assessing the value of health care options.” PCOR answers the following patient-focused questions: Given my personal characteristics, conditions and preferences, what should I expect will happen to me? What are my options and what are the benefits and harms of those options? What can I do to improve the outcomes that are most important to me? How can the health care system improve my chances of achieving the outcomes I prefer?” Under the working definition, in order to answer these questions, PCOR: (1) assesses the benefits and harms of preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, or health delivery system interventions to inform decision making, highlighting comparisons and outcomes that matter to people; (2) is inclusive of an individual’s preferences, autonomy and needs, focusing on outcomes that people notice and care about such as survival, function, symptoms, and health-related quality of life; (3) incorporates a wide variety of settings and diversity of participants to address individual differences and barriers to implementation and dissemination; and (4) investigates (or may investigate) optimizing outcomes while addressing burden to individuals, resources, and other stakeholder perspectives. Comments will be accepted until September 2, 2011.
