Patient Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) is research that helps people and their caregivers communicate and make informed health care decisions, allowing their voices to be heard in assessing the value of health care options. PCOR emphasizes comparing the outcomes of choices that matter to people, with priority to individual differences, such as in preferences and in the socioeconomic and clinical contexts in which care is received. There is an important national need to train scientists in PCOR. The ultimate objective of our program is to produce independent investigators in PCOR. Since development of independence typically requires more than the 3 years of training allowed under this K12 mechanism, we focus our program on 2 sets of K12 scholars: 1) junior faculty and fellows without prior training relevant to PCOR for whom the training program can be a bridge to an individual career development award (e.g., individual K award) or institutional training grant support to complete a full 5 years of training typically required for transition to independence, and 2) junior faculty and fellows with 2 or more years of training relevant to PCOR for whom the award can support courses needed to complete training in PCOR and time to develop independent (e.g., R01) funding. Our proposed training program begins with a broad foundation in PCOR methods, emphasizing core competencies in PCOR. The program then builds on this base by adding focused competencies in experimental, simulation-based, and observational PCOR methods and applications foci in health disparities and health care delivery improvement and system reform. Our program also includes a clearly defined but individualized approach to Mentorship and Career Development for each trainee.

K12HS023007

2014-08-01

2020-07-31