UF Health joins national effort to improve patient outcomes

University of Florida Health is among 42 health systems nationwide chosen by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to carry out pioneering initiatives to accelerate the implementation of practice-changing research results in clinical care to improve patient outcomes.

“At UF Health, we have a commitment to launching and sustaining evidence-based improvement in care,” said David R. Nelson, M.D., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and president of UF Health. “Our mission to promote health through outstanding and high-quality care, innovative and rigorous education in the health professions and biomedical sciences, and high-impact research across the spectrum of basic, translational and clinical investigation aligns perfectly with the PCORI Health Systems Implementation Initiative’s goals.”

HSII-participating health systems have the opportunity to prepare proposals that break down barriers to the delivery of health care through organizational policy and practices changes, providing skills to personnel, developing relationships among other organizations and/or through engagement with communities in the first stage of the initiative. Each health system can receive up to $500,000 for a project that supports preparation for future implementation strategies. A second HSII funding opportunity will support practical and innovative projects that promote uptake of specific evidence from PCORI-funded research studies within the health systems, with funds ranging from $500,000 to $5 million per project.

In addition, through the HSII Learning Network, UF Health and other participants will share experiences and learn from one another about best practices for implementation, evaluation metrics and other topics integral to successful implementation of new ways to deliver care. Through the network, participants will provide input to PCORI on topics and specific PCORI-funded findings of interest for future projects.

HSII participants collectively represent 800 hospitals serving 79 million unique patients — nearly a quarter of the U.S. population — across 41 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to academic health centers like UF Health, they include community-based systems, integrated health care delivery and finance systems, safety net health systems, faith-based systems, public health care delivery systems and a medical center within the Veterans Health Administration.

“UF Health is uniquely positioned to transfer learnings across HSII participants and beyond because of our collaboration with multiple national groups, including Vizient, the Implementing Genomics In Practice Network (known as IGNITE) and the PCORI-funded OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Network,” Nelson said. “UF Health serves as the OneFlorida+ Coordinating Center providing a unique opportunity to transfer learnings throughout Florida and beyond.^”

In making the announcement about UF Health’s involvement in the effort, PCORI’s executive director, Nakela L. Cook, M.D., M.P.H., said, “We welcome the opportunity to work with UF Health and the other health systems participating in this groundbreaking initiative that will leverage their knowledge and experience to facilitate practice change and improve care based on results of PCORI-funded research. The HSII participants’ efforts will lay the groundwork for future expansion and broader implementation by demonstrating pathways to uptake and sharing lessons learned across health systems.”

HSII is part of a portfolio of PCORI-funded efforts that aim to improve the awareness, uptake and use of results from patient-centered comparative effectiveness research. PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization that funds comparative clinical effectiveness research and provides patients, their caregivers and clinicians evidence to make better-informed health and health care decisions.

Media contact: Gary Mans at gary.mans@ufl.edu or 352-265-9406.