What is the ultimate goal of PBRN research?
A major goal of primary care PBRNs, some of which have existed in the United States for more than 20 years, has been to involve busy community-based clinicians and their staff in activities directed by investigators experienced in clinical and health services research. Most are within primary care settings, although PBRNs may be in subspecialty areas, inpatient or other settings, disease state–specific communities (e.g., HIV, Parkinson’s disease), or special study populations (e.g., underserved, rural). Leaders of PBRNs in the United States and other countries have also recognized the potential of primary care networks to expand their purposes beyond traditional research to the nurturing of an evidence-based culture in primary care practice (Thomas et al. 2001). Thomas P, Griffiths F, Kai J, O’Dwyer A. Networks of research in primary health care. BMJ 2001;322:588–90.
