Tufts Researcher Receives $1 Million Grant

Tufts Medical Center image via Wikimedia Commons.

Tufts Medical Center has announced that Dr. John B. Wong, chief of the Division of Clinical Decision Making will receive a research award grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) of $1 million over the course of three years to fund his work improving comparative effectiveness research methods. PCORI works to find ways to more effectively educate patients and health insurance providers about the types of medical care available for each individual patient.

PCORI— who also recently awarded money to the Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Institute—has approved for Wong to receive this money to continue looking at how to improve patients’ treatment education. Dr. Wong was among 14  percent of applicants to receive funding.

Wong’s project is entitled “Integrating Causal Inference, Evidence Synthesis, and Research Prioritization Methods” and will study how medical research can be prioritized to better inform patients of the treatment options available to them. Wong’s project may improve the relationship between medical researchers and medical care providers, and the relationship between care providers and their patients. This way, patients will be better informed about their treatment options and receive the most updated information about medical research that applies to their treatment.

In a press release, Wong said:

“With this study, we are seeking to inform decision making and outcomes that matter to real people in the real world. Our long-term objective is to establish the benefits and harms of therapeutic interventions based on observational studies and randomized clinical trials, so that we can…provide physicians and patients with the evidence they need to make the right choices for individualized care.”

The proposal for Wong’s project was among 570 applications submitted in response to PCORI’s national funding announcement. All 570 proposals were evaluated based on scientific merit, how well the objective of the project fits with PCORI’s goals, and how well the project involves patients. Wong’s project is one of 71 projects awarded more than $114 million collectively by PCORI.

PCORI Executive Director, Dr. Joe Selby said last week:

“Dr. Wong’s project was selected for PCORI funding, not only for its scientific merit, but also for its potential to fill an important gap in our health knowledge and ultimately help patients, and those who care for them, make more fully informed decisions about their care.”