Central Texas Primary Care Research Network (CenTex Net)

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Funds are being requested for both categories, category I (infrastructure support) and category II (pilot project) by the Division of Research, Department of Family & Community Medicine (DORFAM) of the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center (TAMUSHSC) College of Medicine (COM), which was created in recognition of the need for well-conducted research to generate evidence-based data in family practice. Housed at the Scott & White Santa Fe Center Century Square building on the Temple Campus of the COM, DORFAM coordinates all research activities of the department and the Scott & White Healthcare System's 18 regional clinics. To expand primary care activities and enhance translational research in the Central Texas region, DORFAM is leading this application to develop a primary care practice-based research network. The proposed Central Texas Primary Care Research Network (CenTexNet) will initially comprise practices in all 18 regional clinics of Scott & White, the Family Medical Center of the Brazos Valley Family Practice Residency in Bryan, Texas, the Family Practice Residency Clinic in Waco, Texas, and three other clinics serving mostly the uninsured, the homeless, and the indigent population of Temple, Killeen, and surrounding communities. Over time, membership to the network will be extended to other similar practices in the region, including private primary care offices. A proposed network director, along with an internal planning committee to be formed through expanding DORFAM's current research advisory committee, and external consultants will be responsible for planning, directing, and executing the proposed network's development and subsequent activities. The proposed network will be supported by a financially secure core administrative staff, as well as the currently highly developed infrastructure existing on site, including a unified electronic medical records system, other computer-based systems, and the increasingly sophisticated financial data analysis capabilities. The Center for Primary Care Research within AHRQ will serve as the coordinating center to facilitate idea sharing and collaboration with other networks. The proposed developing network will focus on forming a network and implementing pilot project activities in the following areas: a) expand the numbers and types of clinicians and practices in the network to include family practice residents; b) develop electronic collection and aggregation of practice-derived data from network practices; and c) identify potential sources of network support to facilitate the conduct of research with a focus on preventive care, the health care of racial and ethnic minority and underserved populations, and development of systems to enhance patient safety and reduce medical errors, as well as facilitate implementation of translational research among network physicians.