Better Together: The Making and Maturation of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC) (GP756)

Abstract

• Explain the resources and contributions of the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC) to advancing palliative care science.• Understand how the attendee can leverage the PCRC to enhance their palliative care science. Despite advances, significant gaps remain in the evidence base to inform care for people with serious illness. The Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC) was formed to generate needed evidence and bolster research capacity. We describe the PCRC’s growth and contributions to advancing palliative care research. The PCRC exists to lead, catalyze, and empower a community of palliative care investigators. The PCRC:• Supports investigators at all levels of experience in the conduct of clinical studies;• Conducts nationally representative, multi-institutional studies that include diverse populations;• Leverages Standard Data Elements and a de-identified data repository that amplifies the impact of any single study; and• Provides methodological resources, participant access/recruitment, and the expertise of PCRC investigators from multiple disciplines. After developing a governance structure and completing a proof of concept study, the PCRC expanded its infrastructure via additional resource cores (Clinical Studies/Methodology; Measurement; Data Informatics and Statistics; and Caregiver Research), an Investigator Development Center to complement the Project Coordinating Center, and Scientific Review and Publications Committees. Since its inception in 2010, the PCRC has grown to over 550 members representing over 185 distinct locations. To date, the PCRC has supported submission of 146 research applications and conduct of 50 studies. The PCRC promotes investigator development through pilot grant awards (n=35), monthly webinars (n=49), and Clinical Trials Intensives (n=4). The PCRC convenes regular investigator meetings, has special interest groups, and communicates via a newsletter, website, and twitter. With a particular focus on facilitating conduct of rigorous multi-site clinical studies, the PCRC fosters an engaged multi-disciplinary research community, filling a void in generating and disseminating evidence that informs the provision of high quality palliative care.