Research Comes to the Patient at UNC Eastowne.
Patient-centered care respects and integrates the patient’s values, preferences and goals in care decisions and outcomes. To realize the promise of patient-centered healthcare, medicine leaders recognize that the patient perspective must be represented in research.
Patient-centered outcomes research includes the design of study questions to gain useful evidence that can inform patient decisions. Traditionally, healthcare research has focused on physiological data from lab tests or critical events, often with a medical or regulatory perspective. But what matters most to patients are the aspects related to real-life management of disease, as well as convenience, for the patient participants.
“This is really a remarkable opportunity in the history of our department to move toward more of a learning practice, where research can become a natural output of the care process,” said Ron Falk, MD.
At UNC Eastowne, clinical trials are poised to be the heartbeat of patient care, in a reimagined, intentional design integrated at the point of care.
“Here, research comes to the patient,” said Ashwini Roy-Chaudhury, MPH, director of clinical trials. “Everything from EPIC scheduling and check-in integrated across the ambulatory visit, to the physical layout of the trials unit, is designed to serve the patient.”
Embedded in the clinics of the Eastowne medical office building, the 5,000 square-foot space has the capacity to accommodate approximately 75 research staff and 100-plus trials, with a roving phlebotomist and full processing lab. The space, workflow, processes, and compliance framework is all designed to empower and benefit research, to bring research coordinators together with patients, who can utilize a suite of 10 rooms for exams and consent.
Recruiting Participants Directly from the Clinic.
“I’ve been extremely fortunate to join the Diabetes Clinical Center as an early investigator in clinical trials, where integration of clinical care and research has been essential to success,” said Klara Klein, MD, MPH, a fellow in the division of endocrinology and metabolism, and the physician-scientist training program.
“With the move to Eastowne, we are thrilled that other divisions now have the chance to similarly integrate, as having providers recruit trial participants directly from their clinic to a trial that occurs just around the corner makes a big difference.”
As Ashwini gives tours to clinical trials faculty and staff, she explains how Eastowne’s interdisciplinary care model, with everyone in the same place, presents a unique opportunity to increase faculty research and engage participants, particularly with chronic conditions. Currently, pulmonary and endocrinology, each have a clinical research unit. Studies are also developing with pharmacy and infectious diseases, and nephrology and surgery.
“We’re slowly branching out and others are starting to use the space. We want patients to become more aware of clinical research during their visits and know that they can stay in the same building to participate.”
Learning Practice Can Accomplish Multiple Goals.
Ron Falk, MD, chair of the department of medicine says UNC Eastowne’s integrated research model has the potential to blend the best interventional and observational approaches.
“This is really a remarkable opportunity in the history of our department to move toward more of a learning practice, where research can become a natural output of the care process,” Falk said. “This model can help us accomplish multiple goals, with the potential to lower costs, increase efficiencies, and remove some of the barriers that can inhibit research, all while improving the health of our patients.”