COPD Foundation Approved for $2.5 Million Research Funding Award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2016 - The COPD Foundation today announced it has been approved for a $2.5 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for the O2VERLAP study, which will demonstrate the capabilities of the COPD Patient-Powered Research Network (COPD PPRN). The COPD PPRN is the largest research registry ever assembled in an effort to find improved therapies, and ultimately a cure, for COPD.
O2VERLAP is a multi-stakeholder project that will compare the effectiveness of patient-centered proactive care methods (web-based peer coaching education and support intervention) versus reactive care, on adherence to positive airway pressure and oxygen therapies in patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and/or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). As many as 4.5 million people in the U.S. have both COPD and OSA. Results from the O2VERLAP study will provide evidence to shape how care is delivered in the home for patients with COPD and OSA, and will provide guidance on the use of social media, peer-to-peer support, smartphone apps, and viral messaging to engage patients. The study will also serve as a recruitment tool for the COPD Patient-Powered Research Network, a subset of the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet), which prioritizes patient-guided research and personalized care.
The O2VERLAP project will also include the engagement of patient partners and stakeholders in a series of focus groups and interviews to understand treatment barriers and important outcomes to refine the development of a peer-led Internet-based coaching program for individuals with COPD and OSA. The COPD Foundation and partners at American Sleep Apnea Association and other members of PCORnet will engage in collaborative activities around O2VERLAP designed to create more efficient research methods, new tools and best practices for patient centered research.
“Patients who have both COPD and OSA experience considerable complications of these diseases- far more than COPD or OSA individually. Improving adherence to interventions is critical to improving outcomes in those who live with these conditions,” said David M. Mannino, MD, Chief Scientific Officer at the COPD Foundation and Co-Principle Investigator of the COPD PPRN.
“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 PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH. “We look forward to following the study’s progress and working with the COPD Foundation to share the results.”
The COPD Foundation’s study was selected for PCORI funding through a highly competitive review process in which patients, clinicians, and other stakeholders joined clinical scientists to evaluate the proposals. Applications were assessed for scientific merit, how well they will engage patients and other stakeholders, and their methodological rigor among other criteria.
The award has been approved pending completion of a business and programmatic review by PCORI staff and issuance of a formal award contract.
PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. For more information about PCORI’s funding, visit www.pcori.org.
PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network, is an innovative initiative of PCORI that aims to improve the nation’s capacity to conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research efficiently by creating a large, highly representative network for conducting clinical outcomes research that directly involves patients in the development and execution of the research.