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BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
A PBRN is an organization comprised of full-time primary care clinicians and researchers, united by a shared commitment to generating new knowledge that will improve care and patient outcomes through studies conducted within their primary care clinical micro-system setting. PBRNs are the "laboratory" for primary care clinical micro-system research. By using the practical, collective wisdom and clinical experience of practicing clinicians to examine common problems seen in primary care, quality and outcomes of patient care can be improved. VA primary care outpatient clinics (OPCs) are a type of clinical micro-system: a small group of people who work together on a regular basis to provide care to discrete subpopulations of patients with common clinical and business aims, linked processes, a shared information environment and produces performance outcomes. This project will combine the strengths of a cadre of experienced health services researchers at the VERDICT REAP with the experience of full time primary care clinicians in VA staffed outpatient clinics in order to take the first step in creating such a laboratory for clinical micro-system research.
OBJECTIVE(S):
The goal of this short term research project is to develop a PBRN in South Texas comprised of clinicians from the 8 primary care VA staffed non-contract OPCs. This will be the first step to establish a VA-based primary care "Practice-Based Research Network" (PBRN) in VISN 17. The specific aims over the 6 month project period would be to:
1. Identify VA primary care clinician priorities for Clinical Microsystems
research
2. Collect qualitative and quantitative data in each primary care clinical micro-
system
3. Secure on-going support for the PBRN from local and VISN leadership by
demonstrating the value of this participatory research laboratory
METHODS:
These aims would be accomplished by:
1. Recruiting the 8 VA primary care OPCs in the South Texas Veterans Health
Care System to form a PBRN.
2. Conducting a one-week in-depth assessment of each of the 8 VA primary
care OPC and prepare a report for each clinic.
3. Administering a Delphi Survey of clinicians concerning their priorities for
clinical micro-system research that will culminate in a PBRN convocation.
4. Hold a one day PBRN convocation at the Audie Murphy VAMC for PBRN
members.
FINDINGS/RESULTS:
None at this time.
IMPACT:
By developing a Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) in South Texas we will take the first step toward developing a "laboratory" where one can: (1) identify the problems unique to Veterans and the care provided to Veterans that arise in daily practice that create the gap between recommended care and actual care; (2) demonstrate whether treatments with proven efficacy are truly effective and sustainable among Veterans and in the VA primary care clinic, the real world setting of ambulatory care; and (3) provide the "laboratory" for testing system improvements in primary care to maximize the number of Veteran patients who benefit from medical discovery.
PUBLICATIONS:
None at this time.
DRA:
Health Services and Systems
DRE:
none
Keywords:
none
MeSH Terms:
none
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