PCORI’s Research Scope Expanded to Include Cost Outcomes

October 8, 2020

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) was created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. Since then, the institute has performed a wide variety of research comparing different treatments to one another. However, PCORI is not a health technology assessment (HTA) body and is not permitted to do any kind of research on cost-effectiveness research. As outlined in its Proposed “Principles” for the Consideration of the Full Range of Outcomes Data, PCORI’s scope has been expanded to include some cost outcomes thanks to Section 1181 of the Social Security Act:

PCORI-funded research may consider the full range of outcomes important to patients and caregivers, including burdens and economic impacts.

PCORI-funded research may consider the full range of outcomes relevant to other stakeholders, when these outcomes have a near-term or longer-term impact on patients.
The collection of data on burdens and economic impacts of treatment options must be appropriate and relevant to the clinical aims of the study