AMCP Research Institute Launches National Cardiometabolic Research Initiative to Advance Comprehensive Cardiometabolic Care Models

Alexandria, VA (April 27, 2026) — The AMCP Research Institute (ARI) announced the launch of Cardiometabolic Health Real-world Outcomes & Management Evaluation (CHROME), a multisite research initiative designed to evaluate the effectiveness, structure, and economic impact of comprehensive cardiometabolic care models such as Cardiometabolic Centers of Excellence (CoEs) and dedicated obesity clinics. This collaborative research initiative is supported by Lilly and will generate real-world evidence intended to help inform best-practice recommendations and implementation guidance to support scalable cardiometabolic care nationwide. 

The CHROME project is a multisite, mixed-methods study that will compare treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, patient and provider experiences, and payer decision-making across different care models using retrospective quantitative analyses (Aim 1) and qualitative assessments (Aim 2).

“Real-world evidence has enormous potential to inform payer and health system decisions, but it is still underutilized because the evidence being generated doesn’t always align with how decisions are made,” said Cate Lockhart, PharmD, PhD, Chief Science Officer of AMCP and Executive Director of ARI. "Through the AMCP Research Institute, we are intentionally bridging that gap by generating rigorous, decision relevant real-world evidence that helps payers and health systems understand how cardiometabolic care models work, how to assess them, operationalize them, and how to incorporate them into coverage and care decisions. CHROME is designed to translate real-world data into actionable insights that support better clinical outcomes, economic value, and sustainable cardiometabolic care at scale.” 

The CHROME study brings together a multidisciplinary national collaboration including AMCP Research Institute, Lilly, Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Geisinger Center for Obesity and Metabolic Research (COMR), and the Patient Advocate Foundation’s Patient Insight Institute. 

Obesity is closely tied to chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obstructive sleep apnea, metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and cancer. Evidence indicates that appropriate obesity treatment and management can reduce morbidity and mortality by improving key comorbid conditions, including blood pressure, lipid profiles, and glycemic control. 

The CHROME study aims to address widespread underdiagnosis and undertreatment of obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions by: generating evidence on the impact of cardiometabolic CoEs on outcomes and economic value; identifying barriers and facilitators to implementation across diverse health care settings; understanding patient, provider, and payer perspectives; and informing payers and health systems on the clinical and economic value of supporting comprehensive cardiometabolic care structures. 

“At Lilly, we are deeply committed to advancing innovative obesity research and collaborating across the health care ecosystem to help inform the next generation of cardiometabolic care,” said Rachel Batterham, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Medical Innovation and External Engagement, Cardiometabolic Health, Lilly. “Through initiatives like the CHROME study, we aim to generate real‑world evidence that reflects how care is delivered today to help health systems, payers, and providers better understand how comprehensive, patient-centered models can impact health outcomes and support more sustainable cardiometabolic care at scale.”

The study will evaluate components of cardiometabolic care models including governance and staffing, referral pathways, treatment protocols and decision tools, screening and diagnostic workflows, and use of pharmacotherapy, surgery, lifestyle intervention, and multidisciplinary care.

“Cardiometabolic disease demands more than isolated treatment decisions—it requires coordinated systems of care that close the gap between evidence and execution,” said Andrew Sauer, MD, director of the Cardiometabolic Research Program and medical director of Michael & Marlys Haverty Cardiometabolic Center of Excellence at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute. “At Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, we are committed to building and studying practical care models that improve diagnosis, treatment uptake, and long-term outcomes, and we are proud to support the CHROME initiative as part of that effort.”

Retrospective comparative analyses will assess obesity-related diagnosis and screening rates; treatment patterns; clinical outcomes including BMI, HbA1c, eGFR, blood pressure, and weight change; health care resource utilization; guideline concordance; and cost and budget impact modeling over 12–36 months, including return-on-investment scenarios for payers and health systems. 

“Obesity and cardiometabolic conditions remain widely underdiagnosed and undertreated,” said Dr. Christopher Still, Director of the Center for Obesity and Metabolic Research at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. “The CHROME study will help close this gap by generating real‑world evidence on the clinical and economic value of comprehensive cardiometabolic Centers of Excellence, while identifying implementation challenges and capturing patient, provider, and payer perspectives to inform more sustainable models of care. We are excited to engage in this meaningful research.”

Qualitative evaluation will include surveys and interviews examining patient experiences, provider and staff workflows and sustainability, payer attitudes, and barriers and facilitators to successful program implementation, including evidence requirements for future payer support. 

“Too often, care is designed without fully seeing the people living it,” said Dr. Rebekah Angove, Executive Director of Patient Advocate Foundation’s Patient Insight Institute. “By partnering with Patient Insight Institute, CHROME centers the lived experiences of patients—ensuring their voices shape how care is built, delivered, and measured. That’s how we create models patients can truly access, trust, and sustain.”

The objective of CHROME is to help inform actionable evidence to support scalable, equitable, and economically sustainable cardiometabolic care models. 

About AMCP 

AMCP is the professional association leading the way to help patients get the medications they need at a cost they can afford. AMCP’s diverse membership of pharmacists, physicians, nurses, biopharmaceutical professionals, and other stakeholders leverage their specialized expertise in clinical evidence and economics to optimize medication benefit design and population health management and help patients access cost-effective and safe medications and other drug therapies. AMCP members improve the lives of nearly 300 million Americans served by private and public health plans, pharmacy benefit management firms, and emerging care models. Visit www.amcp.org.

About the AMCP Research Institute

Building on AMCP's proven track record in research, the AMCP Research Institute (ARI) expands AMCP research horizons to encompass comprehensive studies, including cost analyses and policy support. ARI aims to elevate AMCP's mission, drive policy, and enhance member value by delivering robust, unbiased research that empowers practitioners and shapes the future of managed care pharmacy.