Practice based research network

History of Primary Care Research

Before there were research institutes or networks of practices, there were individual practitioners who studied their patients’ problems with scientific rigor. Among these were five general practitioners who have been recognized for their seminal work during the past 125 years. They are James Mackenzie, Will Pickles, John Fry, F.J.A. Huygen and Curtis G. Hames. Each of these pioneers demonstrated that important new knowledge could be discovered by practicing family physicians. And this is far from an accepted principle in the United States. These doctors all wondered about their patients’ problems and they developed a means of gathering and recording data on their patients.

Each of these research pioneers provide inspiration for the development of practice-based, primary care research networks because each demonstrated that important new knowledge could be discovered by the practicing family doctor. They each wondered about their patients, developed means of gathering and recording data, and found collaborators and support from their staff and local communities. Unfortunately, they practiced in an era that was over-committed to specialism. Research focused on molecular mechanisms of disease. The rush to specialization by the medical community and the linking of research to specialists resulted in decades of neglect of primary care and virtually no recognition of the need to investigate care in the primary care setting. Instead, the common wisdom viewed primary care practices as relatively boring places that could be potential sites of application of the fruits of research done elsewhere in research laboratories, hospitals and institutes.

Among the early regional networks started in the 1970s were the Family Medicine Information System in Colorado (FMIS) and the Cooperative Information Project. These regional networks learned from each other and succeeded in conducting studies focused on what was happening in primary care. They attracted funding from medical schools, national philanthropic foundations and federal programs such as Health for Underserved Rural Areas. As the 1970s closed, these early networks enjoyed sufficient success to stimulate debate about the next steps in the context of the microcomputer’s development. Among them was a small group convened by Gene Farley in Denver in 1978 to consider establishing a national sentinel practice system. It was this idea that lead to the Ambulatory Sentinel Practice Network and provided in retrospect what appears to have been a nidus for the establishment of primary care PBRNs in the United States.

PBRNs are feasible and that represent a useful infrastructure for the scientific discovery of family practice and primary care. Experience to date points out the great advantages enjoyed by those with enduring, core financial support — such as the Dutch with their early national commitment to primary care and their willingness to invest in primary care research. It is also obvious that these networks require collaboration, coop- eration and a spirit of sharing and trust.

These networks are now at once both a place and a concept. As a place, they are a laboratory for surveillance and research. As a concept, they express the still unmet need for practicing primary care clinicians to accept responsibility to improve frontline clinical care by understanding what is happening in their practices. Successes to date have been sufficient to incite the Institute of Medicine’s 1994 committee studying the future of primary care to recommend support to stabilize and expand practice-based primary care research networks.

Practice Based Research Network Links

Currently Active PBRN

1. AAFP NRN- AAFP National Research Network Kansas
2. AANPNR- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Network for Research Texas
3. ACCESSPBRN- ACCESSPBRN Illinois
4. ACCP PBRN- American College of Clinical Pharmacy Practice-Based Research Network Kansas
5. ACERN- Ambulatory Care Evaluation and Research Network New York
6. ACORN- Virginia Ambulatory Care Outcomes Research Network Virginia
7. ACPNet- ACPNet Pennsylvania
8. APBRN- Alabama Practice Based Research Network Alabama
9. APN-ARC- Advanced Practice Nurse-Ambulatory Research Consortium Ohio
10. APPD LEARN- Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Assessment Research Network Virginia
11. ARCHNAP St. Louis Ambulatory Care Research Consortium for Nurses in Advanced Practice Missouri
12. AT-PBRN- Athletic Training Practice-Based Research Network Arizona
13. ATSU SOMA PBRN- A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona PBRN Arizona
14. AppNET- The Appalachian Research Network Tennessee
15. ArkPBRN- Arkansas Practice Based Research Network Arkansas
16. BIGHORN- Building Investigative Practices for Better Health Outcomes Colorado
17. BWPC PBRN- Brigham and Women's Primary Care Practice-Based Research Network Massachusetts
18. BraveNet- The Bravewell Integrative Medicine Research Network North Carolina
19. C-AHEAD PBRN- Center for the Advancement of Healthcare Education and Delivery PBRN Colorado
20. CAPRICORN- Capital Area Primary Care Research Network District of Columbia
21. CARinG Network- Cincinnati Area Research Group Network Ohio
22. CCPC- Connecticut Center for Primary Care Connecticut
23. CDN- Clinical Directors Network, Inc. New York
24. COCONet- Colorado Child Outcomes Network Colorado
25. CORC- CAMHS Outcomes Research Consortium UK
26. CONCORD-PBRN- Consortium for Collaborative Osteopathic Research Development Practice-Based Research Network Texas
27. CORNET- Continuity Research Network Virginia
28. CPNet- Community Physician's Network Georgia
29. CSPC- Centre for Studies in Primary Care
30. CSRN- CLEAR Scoliosis Research Network Texas
31. CaReNet - Colorado Research Network Colorado
32. Cedars-Sinai PBRN-Cedars-Sinai Medical Delivery Network PBRN California
33. CenTexNet- Central Texas Primary Care Research Network Texas
34. DC PrimCare PBRN- District of Columbia Primary Care Practice-Based Research Network District of Columbia
35. DO-Touch.NET- Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine Treating with OMM: Usefulness in Current Healthcare Missouri
36. DesertNet- DesertNet Arizona Primary Care Research Network Arizona
37. E-CARE- Eastern Carolina Association for Research & Education North Carolina
38. EBD-PBRN- Evidence-Based Decisions in Dentistry Practice-Based Research Network California
39. EPICnet- Eastern Pennsylvania Inquiry Collaborative Network Pennsylvania
40. GR-PBRN- Greater Rochester Practice Research Network New York
41. GRIN- Great Lakes Research Into Practice Network Michigan
42. HCH PBRN- Health Care for the Homeless Practice Based Research Network Tennessee
43. HHR- Holistic Healthcare and Research Centre
44. HPRN- High Plains Research Network Colorado
45. HamesNet- HamesNet Georgia
46. Healthy Communities- Physicians of Southwest Washington Foundation for Quality Improvement Washington
47. ICPA PBRN- International Chiropractic Pediatric Association PBRN Pennsylvania
48. IDND- Indianapolis Discovery Network for Dementia Indiana
49. IFHRN- Institute for Family Health Research Network New York
50. IRENE- Iowa Research Network Iowa
51. ISRN-RN - Improvement Science Research Network Texas
52. JCCCR- Jefferson Coordinating Center for Clinical Research Pennsylvania
53. JDPBRN - Dental PBRN Japan
54. JHCP-PCRN- Johns Hopkins Community Physicians Primary Care Research Network Maryland
55. JaxHERO- Jacksonville Health Equity Research Organization Florida
56. KAN- Kentucky Ambulatory Network Kentucky
57. LA Net- LA Net Community Health Network California
58. LAC DHS ACN-R&I- Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Ambulatory Care Network - Research & Innovation California
59. La MAISON- Louisiana Medical Home Ambulatory Improvements and Outcomes Network Louisiana
60. Lutheran Network- Lutheran Family Health Center Network New York
61. MAFPRN- Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Research Network Minnesota
62. MAPPR- Mecklenburg Area Partnership for Primary Care Research North Carolina
63. MASNRN- Massachusetts School Nurse Research Network Massachusetts
64. MCHS PBRN- Mayo Clinic Health System Practice Based Research Network Minnesota
65. MGPC-PBRN- Massachusetts General Primary Care Practice Based Research Network Massachusetts
66. MPCRN- Military Primary Care Research Network Maryland
67. MPPBRN- Minnesota Pharmacy Practice-Based Research Network Minnesota
68. MTN- MO Therapy Network Missouri
69. MedEdNet- Medical Education Research Network Oregon
70. Mercy- Sisters of Mercy Health System Network Missouri
71. MetroNet - Metropolitan Detroit Practice-based Research Network Michigan
72. NC MARCH- North Carolina Multisite Adolescent Research Consortium for Health North Carolina
73. NC-FM-RN- North Carolina Family Medicine Research Network North Carolina
74. NCCHRN- North Carolina Child Health Research Network North Carolina
75. NECF PBRN- New England Clinicians Forum Practice-Based Research Network Connecticut
76. NEON- Northeastern Ohio Network Ohio
77. NFPCRN - North Florida Pediatric Community Research Network Florida
78. NIPC-PBRN- National Interdisciplinary Primary Care PBRN Iowa
79. NJPCRN - New Jersey Primary Care Research Network New Jersey
80. NP-PITTNet- NursePractitioner-PITTNet Pennsylvania
81. NYC RING- New York City Research & Improvement Networking Group New York
82. NYU-HHC CRA- New York University (NYU)-Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) Clinical Research Association (CRA) New York
83. National Dental PBRN- The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Alabama
84. NetHaven at Yale- NetHaven Practice Based Research Network Connecticut
85. NorTex- North Texas Primary Care Practice Based Research Network Texas
86. NorthShore PBRN- NorthShore Practice-Based Improvement Research Network Illinois
87. Northwest PRECEDENT- Northwest Practice-based REsearch Collaborative in Evidence-based DENTistry Washington
88. OCHRN- Oklahoma Child Health Practice Based Research Network Oklahoma
89. OKPRN- Oklahoma Physicians Resource/Research Network Oklahoma
90. ORPRN - Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network Oregon
91. OPTI-WestNet- OPTI-West Practice-Based Research Network Colorado
92. OQUIN- Outpatient Quality Improvement Network South Carolina
93. OSU-PCPBRN- Ohio State University Primary Care Practice Based Research Network Ohio
94. PAMFRI- Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute California
95. PBRN-VA- VA Mental Health Practice-Based Research Network Texas
96. PCRC- Duke Primary Care Research Consortium North Carolina
97. PDC PBRN- Pediatric Diagnostic Center PBRN California
98. PPOC- The Pediatric Physicians' Organization at Children's Massachusetts
99. PRN- Portland Research Network Oregon
100. PROS- Pediatric Research in Office Settings Illinois
101. PSARN- Penn State Ambulatory Research Network Pennsylvania
102. PeRC- The Pediatric Research Consortium Pennsylvania
103. Pediatric PittNet- Pediatric PittNet: University of Pittsburgh CTSI PBRN Pennsylvania
104. RAP- Research Association of Practices of the PBRN Shared Resource Ohio
105. RCPCrN- Robeson County Primary Care research Network North Carolina
106. REACH Network- Research and Education for Academic Achievement Network Illinois
107. RIOS NET- Research Involving Outpatient Settings Network New Mexico
108. Rx-SafeNet- Medication Safety Research Network of Indiana Indiana
109. SAFTINet- Scalable Architecture for Federated Translational Inquiries Network Colorado
110. SALT-Net- The Studying, Acting, Learning, and Teaching Network New York
111. SAPPHIRE- South Asian Practice Partnership for Health Improvement and Research New York
112. SCOR Network- Slone Center Office-based Research Network Massachusetts
113. SCPPRN- South Carolina Pediatric Practice Research Network South Carolina
114. SERCN- Southeast Regional Clinicians Network Georgia
115. SF Bay CRN- San Francisco Bay Collaborative Research Network California
116. SICTRN- Southeastern Integrated Clinical and Translational Research Network Florida
117. SIPRO- Southern Illinois Practice Research Organization Illinois
118. SOAR-Net- Southwestern Ohio Ambulatory Research Network Ohio
119. SPUR-Net- Southern Primary-care Urban Research Network Texas
120. SRN- ShowMe Research Network Missouri
121. STARNet- South Texas Ambulatory Research Network Texas
122. STOHN- South Texas Oral Health Network Texas
123. STP PBRN- South Texas Psychiatric Practice-Based Research Network Texas
124. SWIRLNet- South West Innovative Research and Learning Network Colorado
125. Safety Net West- Safety Net West Oregon
126. South Asian PBRN- South Asian PBRN
127. Southeast Wisconsin Alliance for Translating Research into Practice- Southeast Wisconsin Alliance for Translating Research into Practice Wisconsin
128. TAMHSC-RCHI- Texas A&M Health Science Center Rural and Community Health Institute Texas
129. The Dartmouth CO-OP Project- Dartmouth-Northern New England CO-OP Project New Hampshire
130. UCLA PCRN- UCLA Primary Care Research Network California
131. UMASS-FM-PBRN - UMass Family Medicine PBRN Massachusetts
132. UNYNET - Upstate New York Practice Based Research Network New York
133. UT Pharm Net- University of Tennessee Pharmacist Practice Based Research Network Tennessee
134. UUPCRN- Utah Health Research Network Utah
135. VCMCDDCP- Ventura County Medical Center Diabetes Data Control Project Practice Based California
136. WPRN- WWAMI region Practice and Research Network Washington
137. WREN- Wisconsin Research and Education Network Wisconsin
138. WU PAARC- Washington University Pediatric and Adolescent Ambulatory Research Consortium Missouri
139. WesTRN - West Texas Research Network Texas