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background resources in PDF |
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some CAM/IM publication links |
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PCORI Changes Language to Include Integrative, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Providers |
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Written by John Weeks
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PCORI Changes Language to Include Integrative, Complementary and Alternative Medicine Providers
Summary: The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
institute (PCORI) has listened to public input and made a series of
responsive changes to their draft National Priorities for Research and
Research Agenda. Included is new language that explicitly includes "integrative healthcare providers" and "complementary and alternative medicine providers" as part of a list of allied health professionals. The inclusion is in the context of "Improving Health Systems" and is associated with "alternative strategies to the composition of health teams." The link and precise language is here. Credit PCORI for their open process and responsiveness. I follow with comments on a value of inclusion.
 Responds, changes, based on public comment
"PCORI recognizes the diverse health
professionals involved in patient centered care. In the Research Agenda,
the description of allied health professionals has been expanded to be
more inclusive of all of potential members of a health care team."
PCORI then specifically shares the language
changes in the draft plan section on the PCORI priority entitled
“Improving Health Systems.” That section will now state that "PCORI is
interested in the following topics" (changes are here in bold):
"Research that compares the effectiveness on patient outcomes of a wide range of system level strategies to incorporate alternative, new, and or extended roles for health care providers or other allied health professionals (e.g., pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, integrative healthcare providers, complementary and alternative medicine providers, patient navigators, volunteers, etc.) into the healthcare team. Research
that compares the effectiveness on patient outcomes of alternative
strategies to composition of health care teams through alternative
workforce deployment models including care collaboration and team based
care approaches."
Other areas where PCORI made changes include additional focus on the patient and patient engagement, team care, care coordination and the role of providers in patient decision-making processes.
Comment: First, it's great to see PCORI acting with such conscious responsiveness. Many of these changes would suggest greater openness to whole person-oriented approaches and proposals.
Inside the Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care (ACCAHC), we have the view that, at this point in time in U.S. health care, if "integrative
healthcare providers, complementary and alternative medicine providers"
are not explicitly included, as PCORI now does, they are likely yet to
be excluded. This need is not ideal health care. It is real politik. ACCAHC made this point in letters to PCORI in August 2011 and oral presentation to the Board of Governors the
next month. (I personally dropped the ball on getting ACCAHC's comments
in on the draft plan, despite excellent participation of committee members, in part
discouraged that the inclusion was not in the original.)
 Ryan Bradley, ND, MPH: a classic PCORI project
Recent news on the diabetes front underscores the wisdom of PCORI's change. When Group Health Cooperative allowed patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes to have access to "adjunctive naturopathic care" from a network of naturopathic physicians, the outcomes proved beneficial on an array of fronts. Following up on pilots such as this work, led by Ryan Bradley, ND, MPH, Dan Cherkin, PhD and others, would appear to be rich ground for PCORI funding. (Thanks to Pamela Snider, ND, for alerting me to this change.)
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