WASHINGTON, April 9, 2013 -- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will convene an April 23 roundtable discussion on how to create a national data infrastructure to support high-quality patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER).

The roundtable will accompany PCORI's release of two funding announcements committing $72 million to facilitate the development of national research data networks that will require the involvement of patients, clinicians and healthcare systems in their governance and use.This initiative, which builds on a number of prior efforts to craft large clinical research networks, falls under one of PCORI's five broad National Priorities for Research, "Accelerating Patient-Centered and Methodological Research."

"CER can play a significant role in improving the volume and quality of information available to patients, caregivers, clinicians and other healthcare stakeholders," said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH. "A national data-rich infrastructure to support high-quality, efficient CER will benefit all Americans. The right infrastructure has the potential to transform research and foster a learning health system that uses meaningful evidence drawn from clinical practice to improve patient outcomes."

The April 23 event, to be held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., from 9:00-11:00 a.m. ET, will bring together representatives from government, industry, payers, health systems, and the research and patient communities to provide their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in creating a national research infrastructure and where PCORI's investments can provide unique value.

Audience members will have the opportunity to interact with roundtable participants during a question and answer session. A webcast will be available for those who can't attend in person. Individuals who wish to attend in person are required to register for the event through the PCORI website, www.pcori.org.