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How and why to study the practice content of a practice-based research network
Kevin A Pearce1, Margaret M Love, Mary A Barron
1Department of Family Practice and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Kentucky Clinic, Lexington, KY 40536-0284, USA. kpearce@email.uky.edu
Annals of Family Medicine
|October 28, 2004
Summary
This practice content study established a new practice-based research network (PBRN) and provided valuable data on primary care visits, diagnoses, and patient health behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Primary Care Research
- Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRN)
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Describes the establishment and methodology of a new practice-based research network (PBRN).
- Highlights lessons learned from conducting a practice content study within this new network.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and activate a new PBRN.
- To conduct a practice content study with clinician input.
- To gather descriptive data to guide future research.
Main Methods:
- Modified replication of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) within the Kentucky Ambulatory Network (KAN).
- Inclusion of focused modifications to the NAMCS protocol based on clinician input.
- Cross-sectional sampling of 2,228 patient visits over a 1-year period.
Main Results:
- 56 community-based primary care clinicians participated.
- Patient demographics and top diagnoses mirrored US NAMCS data.
- High prevalence of multiple diagnoses (33% of visits) and medications (25% of visits) per patient.
- Obesity (40%) and overweight (30%) were prevalent, with increased counseling rates correlating with higher BMI.
Conclusions:
- Successfully established and activated the new PBRN, increasing its membership.
- The collected descriptive data will inform and support future research initiatives.
- Demonstrates the value of practice-based research networks in generating relevant clinical data.