Tulane University Approved for $2.25 Million to Participate in New Diabetes Research Initiative
Tulane University will lead a $2.25 million effort to improve care coordination in diabetes management, which remains a major public health concern in the United States, especially in Louisiana which reports higher rates of illness and death from diabetes and cardiovascular disease than other regions of the U.S.
The funding award was provided by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).
Tulane’s involvement will support the Research Action for Health Network (REACHnet) as part of the new Natural Experiments Network launched by PCORI, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. REACHnet is coordinated by the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI).
Dr. Lizheng Shi, Regents Professor in Global Health Management and Policy for the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical. Medicine, will work with REACHnet to examine the impact of Medicare payment for non-face-to-face care coordination on health outcomes and healthcare utilizations among diverse populations with diabetes in Louisiana.
The project will also identify critical elements at patient, provider and organization levels that will enhance the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of chronic care management in diabetes.
“This natural experiment will examine the impact of the Medicare payment policy on the health systems in Louisiana for better chronic care management and care coordination among patients with multiple chronic conditions,” said Dr. Shi, who is also clinical faculty in endocrinology, and directs the Health Systems Analytics Research Center. “We are very fortune to work with outstanding researchers from the REACHnet partner institutions. Particularly, our patient partners will help us to answer the research questions in the right way, at the right time, and in the right dissemination format.”
Findings from the Natural Experiments Network could inform the efforts of policy makers, health plan directors, and community leaders to prioritize policies and practices to treat and prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications.
PCORI is an independent, non-profit 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.
