Patient Engagement
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) plays a pivotal role in advancing research that integrates patients and stakeholders at every phase. PCORI’s comprehensive resources and initiatives ensure that studies are patient-centered, addressing real-world needs and producing actionable outcomes.
Engagement Resources
PCORI provides guidance to research teams to enhance stakeholder involvement effectively:
Engagement Plan Template
Every funding application to PCORI requires an Engagement Plan detailing how stakeholders will be involved throughout the research. PCORI offers a detailed Engagement Plan template to guide applicants.
Visit https://www.pcori.org/engagement-research/engagement-plan-template for more information.
Budgeting for Engagement Activities
PCORI recognizes the importance of budgeting for stakeholder engagement and provides a comprehensive guide for applicants to include these expenses in their proposed budgets.
Visit https://www.pcori.org/engagement-research/budgeting-engagement to learn more.
Compensation Framework
To ensure fairness, PCORI developed a Compensation Framework to guide researchers in compensating stakeholders based on the intensity and nature of their involvement.
Detailed information is available at https://www.pcori.org/engagement-research/compensation-framework.
Engagement Tool and Resource Repository
PCORI curates a repository of tools and resources developed by its awardees, helping researchers adopt best practices.
- Best Practices for Online Engagement
This guide is tailored to help research teams engage stakeholders virtually, especially for populations with unique needs, like those with cystic fibrosis.
Access the guide at https://www.pcori.org/engagement-research/resources-best-practices. - Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Training Manual
This manual provides step-by-step guidance for integrating patient, caregiver, and community partners into research teams.
Download the manual at https://www.pcori.org/engagement-research/training-manual.
Public and Patient Engagement Initiatives
PCORI fosters active collaboration with diverse stakeholder groups:
- PCORI Ambassador Program
This volunteer network promotes stakeholder-engaged research at the community level and helps build partnerships between patients and researchers.
Learn more at https://www.pcori.org/ambassador-program. - Advisory Panel on Patient Engagement
This panel helps shape PCORI’s research agenda, refine research questions, and model effective engagement.
Details can be found at https://www.pcori.org/advisory-panel-patient-engagement.
Funding Opportunities for Engagement
PCORI supports projects that build capacity for patient-centered research:
- Engagement Award: Capacity Building
This award funds projects that actively involve patients, caregivers, and stakeholders in the research process.
Visit https://www.pcori.org/funding-opportunities/engagement-award-capacity-building for funding details. - Engagement Award: Building Capacity for Small Organizations
This opportunity enhances the ability of small organizations to engage in patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER).
Details available at https://www.pcori.org/funding-opportunities/building-capacity-small-organizations.
Educational Webinars and Training
PCORI offers webinars to advance patient-centered outcomes research:
- Examples of Promising Practices
These sessions feature PCORI-funded researchers and stakeholders sharing strategies for meaningful engagement.
Register for webinars at https://www.pcori.org/engagement-research/webinars. - Highlighting PCORI’s Approach
These webinars showcase PCORI’s commitment to conducting research differently, with a focus on patient-centeredness.
Learn more at https://www.pcori.org/engagement-research/webinar-series.
Acknowledgment
This article was developed with assistance from ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI, providing research and drafting support.

