Future Directions in Primary Care Research

Practice-Based Research

Recently, AHRQ awarded planning grants to 19 primary care Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs), a program administered by the center. These networks are groups of practices—devoted principally to the care of patients—that have affiliated with each other (and often with an academic or professional organization) to investigate questions related to community-based practice.

Nurses will be an important component of these networks, which are expected to be ongoing structures designed to function over more than a single study. Together, the PBRNs will be able to engage in research with more than 5,000 primary care practice settings and almost 7 million patients across the United States. One of the networks, directed by Margaret Grey, Ph.D., B.S.N., at Yale, will focus on nurse-practitioner practice.

For FY 2000, the selected PBRNs recently received $75,000 in planning grants. During this fiscal year, the networks will be expected to:

• Implement the computer-based collection of research data from the participating practices.


• Expand the scope of the networks and include larger numbers of minority or underserved patients.


• Plan how to translate new research findings into clinical practice.

AHRQ, in partnership with other Federal funding agencies and foundations, will also provide funds to conduct research in the context of the primary care PBRNs. These directed funds will likely support work in the area of patient safety, working conditions, mental health, and health care disparities.