The national palliative care research center: Ten years of promoting and developing research in palliative care

R. Sean Morrison, Melissa D. Aldridge, James Block, Lily Chiu, Catherine Maroney, Corey A. Morrison, Diane E. Meier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The evidence base to support high-quality clinical care and number of scientists available to develop this evidence base are inadequate. Objective: To describe the first 10 years of the National Palliative Care Research Center's (NPCRC) programs and their outcomes. Design: Established in 2005, NPCRC was created in direct response to the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine. Specifically, NPCRC was created to expand the palliative care evidence-based needed for both health policy and clinical practice by supporting research scientists, stimulating research and innovation, and creating a community of researchers focused on the needs of persons with serious illness and their families. Measurements: Subsequent grant funding following NPCRC investment (web searches of NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools [RePORT], Veterans Administration and Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute [PCORI] grant databases, grantee on-line surveys, and grantee annual reports) promotions (grantee on-line surveys and annual reports), publications (PubMed searches), and NPCRC participant satisfaction (grantee questionnaires). Results: As of July 2017, NPCRC has funded 47 junior investigators representing over 10 disciplines. These investigators have leveraged NPCRC's $7.8 million investment into 52 federal grants totaling $74.8 million dollars and 69 foundation grants totaling $16 million. Thirty-five grants ($5.8 million) have been awarded to experienced investigators, resulting in additional grant funding of $104.5 million dollars ($78.5 million federal, $26 million nonfederal). Satisfaction with NPCRC's program has been uniformly high and policy efforts have resulted in enhanced federal funding opportunities in palliative care research. Conclusions: NPCRC's focus on people and infrastructure in conjunction with a top-down bottom-up strategy has been critical in improving the palliative care evidence base.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1548-1557
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Palliative Medicine
Volume21
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2018

Keywords

  • faculty development
  • palliative care
  • palliative care evidence base
  • research training

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