What is E-MARCH?

The Initiative on Islam and Medicine at the University of Chicago, UMMA Community Clinic, Whitestone Foundation, and Worry Free Community are collaborating to develop a cohort of Muslim American community leaders. This cohort will leave E-MARCH better prepared  to perform religiously and culturally relevant patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). 

Why is E-MARCH Important?

E-MARCH is empowering the Muslim American community by targeting the following issues:

• Health outcomes are largely understudied in the Muslim American community
• There are few opportunities for community leaders to develop the tools needed for community relevant PCOR
• The mosque-community structure is an under-utilized setting for health research and intervention
• There are few programs or resources tailored to the religious and cultural needs of the Muslim American community

What is Patient-Centered Outcomes Research?

Patients, caretakers, and other healthcare stakeholders face a number of challenges when it comes to figuring out what the right decision is for them in a healthcare setting. While health and healthcare researchers have made incredible progress in improving health outcomes, the current research methodology doesn’t always provide patients with the information they need to make an informed health decision. PCOR is designed to help close that gap.

PCOR is research that focuses on providing patients and caretakers with access to information that allows them to make informed healthcare decisions by studying the outcomes that patients want to know about. In doing so, PCOR creates an environment in which patient voices are heard in assessing the value of healthcare options.