North Carolina Family Practice PBRN

描述（由申请人提供）：北卡罗莱纳州家庭实践基于实践的研究网络（NCFP-PBRN）提出进一步的基础设施发展（第一类）和4个探索性/试点项目（第二类），以响应AHRQ RFA #HS-02-003。NCFP-PBRN由16个家庭实践点组成，构成了国家实践环境的分层（农村/城市，地区）样本。它是由北卡罗来纳大学家庭医学系和瑟斯顿关节炎研究中心在疾病控制和预防中心的2年（2000-2002年）资助下成立的，并有补充机构资金用于加强少数民族的招募。初始资金用于研究补充和替代药物在关节炎中的应用；然而，NCFP-PBRN从一开始就旨在促进广泛的以初级保健为基础的研究，以一组具有代表性的实践和一组以实践为基础的成年患者为中心。NCFP-PBRN已经招募了大约4,500名成年患者，这些患者于2001年从参与实践的诊所招募。目前正在处理的论文使用了该队列的数据，涉及老年人抑郁症的患病率，种族与健康相关生活质量之间的关系，以及关节炎患者使用补充和替代疗法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The North Carolina Family Practice Practice-Based Research Network (NCFP-PBRN) proposes further infrastructure development (Category I) and 4 exploratory/pilot projects (Category II), in response to AHRQ RFA #HS-02-003. The NCFP-PBRN consists of 16 family practice sites, which constitute a stratified (rural/urban, region) sample of the state's practice settings. It was founded by the Department of Family Medicine and the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina under a 2-year (2000-2002) grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with supplemental institutional funding to enhance minority recruitment. Initial funding was awarded to study complementary and alternative medicine use in arthritis; however from its outset the NCFP-PBRN was structured with the intention of fostering a wide range of primary care-based studies, centered around a representative group of practices and a practice-based cohort of adult patients. The NCFP-PBRN has enrolled and is currently maintaining a cohort of approximately 4,500 adult patients who were recruited in 2001 from participating practices. Papers currently in process using data from this cohort address the prevalence of depression in older persons, the relationship between race and health-related quality of life, and use of complementary and alternative therapies by persons with arthritis. The proposed project will enable the NCFP-PBRN to further develop its mission and progress toward self sustainability by strengthening project infrastructure and communication, and by supporting pilot studies with high potential for leading to funded projects that translate research findings into practice. Aims include: 1) development of processes and personnel for research coordination, 2) enhancement of communication linkages, 3) recruitment of four minority-focused practices, 4) development of a community health indicators database, and 5) conducting four pilot studies. Topics of proposed pilot studies include physical activity in persons at high risk for type II diabetes, sexual health problems in aging and chronic illness, end-of-life planning in primary care, and surveillance for bioterrorism. Three of the proposed pilot studies seek to identify effective strategies to apply research evidence to practice; the fourth will develop valuable insights into minority populations.