Northwest Participant and Clinical Interaction Network

NW PCI Services

Through the NW PCI Coordinating Center, we can help you create a partnership with clinical research centers in the WWAMI region, find collaborators, assemble a team, and provide guidance about working with regional sites.

NW PCI Coordinating Center services include:

• Consultation on topics such as protocol feasibility in real-world settings, expectations for working with health centers and recruiting research sites
• Development of collaborative teams
• Research tools and expertise for effective collaboration
• Assistance with related content for grant applications and other scholarly work

Read more about the work of the NW PCI in our Executive Summary:

NW PCI Network Capabilities

The NW PCI Network is comprised of research centers, departments and institutes with experience and infrastructure to conduct many types of research, including phase I-IV clinical trials, social and behavioral interventions, and patient-centered outcomes and health services research. NW PCI sites are collectively capable of administering inpatient, outpatient, pediatric, and home-based protocols, and draw diverse patients from rural and urban settings in the WWAMI region.

Each NW PCI location has extensive research infrastructure including experienced investigators, research coordinators, financial and regulatory staff, investigational pharmacy services, and compliance programs. NW PCI locations also have committed champions who collaborate with the NW PCI Coordinating Center to vet research ideas, link investigators with partners, and guide research proposals through the research systems at each site.

Working with the NW PCI Network

To work with the NW PCI, please contact us with your study idea as early as possible. NW PCI sites conduct in-depth feasibility assessments to 1) estimate the number eligible patients; 2) determine protocol feasibility and budget adequacy; 3) assure alignment with clinical priorities; and 4) identify site investigators and key research personnel. The Coordinating Center will assist you with your materials, and facilitate connections with interested sites, but please plan ahead. Even with Coordinating Center support, building research collaborations takes time. Typically, site recruitment occurs post-award.

The Coordinating Center can provide guidance about integrating the NW PCI Network, protocol and budget recommendations, and letters of support for your grant application. Up to 10 hours of consultation is available for grant development, and cost estimates are provided for all post-award activities. Depending on the scope of work, NW PCI sites and the Coordinating Center are usually funded by sub-award or vendor agreement.

Resources and References

• Health Systems Collaboration Guide for Investigators: Summarizes important considerations, best practices and partnership guidelines for investigators planning research collaborations with regional health systems.
  18 MBHealth Systems Collaboration Guide
• Relevant publications
  • Conducting multisite clinical trials with NW PCI sites:
    • Hassell, L., Gregor, C., Melvin, A., Goss, C., Coker, R. H., Laukes, C., Albritton, S., Brant, J., Amoroso, P., Whitener, N., & Tuttle, K. R. (2020). Feasibility of connecting regional research programs to national multisite trials emanating from the CTSA Trial Innovation Network. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 4(2), 75–80. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2019.437 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32313695/)
  • Barriers and facilitators of engaging clinicians in research:
    • Ciemins, E. L., Mollis, B. L., Brant, J. M., Hassell, L. A., Albritton, S., Amoroso, P., Lloyd, A., Smith, J. M., Pflugeisen, B. M., Tuttle, K. R., & Baldwin, L.-M. (2020). Clinician engagement in research as a path toward the learning health system: A regional survey across the northwestern United States. Health Services Management Research, 33(1), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/0951484819858830 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31422696/)
  • NW PCI Network development, governance, and infrastructure:
    • Baldwin, L.-M., Hassell, L., Laukes, C., Doyle, M., Reedy, A., Mollis, B., Albritton, S., Ciemins, E., Coker, R., Brant, J., Tuttle, K. R., Baker, L., & Ramsey, B. (2017). The Northwest Participant and Clinical Interactions Network: Increasing opportunities for patients to participate in research across the Northwestern United States. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 1(2), 94–100. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2016.18 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28649450/)

Membership

The NW PCI is currently open to hospitals and health systems in the WWAMI region that are interested in collaborating on research studies with peer institutions and investigators. By joining the NW PCI, you can:

• Have a voice in setting research priorities
• Expand the breadth and availability of research conducted in your facilities to include more investigator-initiated studies
• Work with peer institutions to identify and address barriers that impact research in community-based hospitals and health systems
• Collaborate on investigator-initiated research with minimal interruption to clinical care
• Connect with investigators and peer institutions through networking and professional development opportunities
• Gain experience in the development and conduct of federally funded research studies

Contact Us / Request Membership

To learn more about NW PCI, please contact us via the following form.