A research team comprised of researchers and clinicians at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, University at Albany, SUNY, Outcome Referrals, Inc., and Atrius Health has recently been awarded $1.7 million in funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The funding is for a study on improving mental health care by scientifically matching patient needs to clinical providers’ strengths.
The researchers will compare the effectiveness of a new, scientifically based patient-provider match system for mental health treatment to the more traditional method known as “pragmatic case assignment,” which is based on provider availability, convenience or self-reported specialty.
“For too long, mental health care has relied on non-personalized approaches to matching patient with provider, which often leads to substandard or even harmful mental health services,” states Michael Constantino, PhD, lead researcher, UMass Amherst.
“Over the past century, science has dramatically improved the two primary pillars of medicine — diagnosis and treatment. It’s now time to build a scientific bridge between them,” states David Kraus, PhD, co-investigator and President of Outcome Referrals in Framingham, Massachusetts. Dr. Kraus is the inventor of the method of making healthcare referrals based on scientific matching. The process is protected by US Patent No. 7,873,525.
“Patients too often struggle to find a good-fitting care provider and lack sufficient information about their treatment options to aid their decision making,” said James Boswell, PhD, co-investigator, SUNY Albany. “Advances in measurement, information technology, and electronic health records have all opened the door for harnessing routinely collected mental health care data to make better informed decisions and increase the personalization of care.”
The researchers will randomly assign study participants either to a group matched to providers using effectiveness and appropriateness criteria or to a group assigned by the traditional pragmatic method. They expect that patients assigned by scientific matching will report significantly better treatment outcomes, such as symptom reduction and quality of life, and report higher satisfaction with treatment – demonstrating that using a scientific match process is feasible in a large community mental health care system. Patients will be treated and cared for by providers at Atrius Health’s robust Behavioral Health department; part of an innovative healthcare organization that includes medical practices and a home health agency and hospice, serving 675,000 patients in eastern and central Massachusetts. Samuel Nordberg, PhD, and Director of Behavioral Health Informatics and Innovation at Atrius Health, will also serve as a co-investigator for this study.
“We are honored to receive this funding to continue our work to create a collaborative and supportive community for our patients at Atrius Health,” said Jacob Kagan, MD, Behavioral Health Specialty Director at Atrius Health. “This personalized approach to mental health aligns with our mission to provide the best care possible.”
“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 this team to share the results.”
This 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.
This 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.
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