Enhancing Comparative Effectiveness Research Capabilities in PPRNet

描述(由申请人提供)：由于大约四分之一的美国人符合这一称谓，需要进行高质量的流行病学和比较有效性研究，以告知卫生系统如何最好地照顾患有多种慢性病的人。拟议工作的目的是大大提高现有的、成功的以初级保健实践为基础的研究网络(PBRN)进行此类研究的能力。这项工作将在实践合作伙伴研究网络(PPRNet)中进行，这是一个全国性的PBRN，在40个州的156家初级保健实践中使用共同的电子医疗记录(EMR)，并将不可识别的数据汇集在一起，用于质量改进和研究。位于南卡罗来纳医科大学的PPRNet研究人员将开展这项工作，包括基础设施开发和进行旨在测试新基础设施能力的初步研究项目。计划的基础设施发展包括一系列活动，旨在将PPRNet扩大到至少250个实践和开发复杂的计算机算法，以增强研究人员识别20种慢性病患者的能力。主要研究项目将是一项横断面流行病学研究，比较没有慢性病、一种慢性病和多种慢性病的患者提供推荐的预防性服务的情况。迄今为止，关于慢性病与接受预防性服务之间的关系的信息不足。拟议的研究将解决这一问题，研究结果可能会导致旨在改善对患有多种慢性病的患者的预防性服务的各种调查。 公共卫生相关性：了解患有多种慢性病的患者接受推荐的预防性服务的意图，并设计策略来改善这方面的医疗保健，是美国医疗保健系统的重要优先事项。本提案中计划的活动将进一步发展现有的以初级保健实践为基础的研究网络的能力，以进行这项研究，并支持其旨在解决这些问题的研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): High quality epidemiologic and comparative effectiveness research is needed to inform the health system about how to best care for people with multiple chronic illnesses since approximately one quarter of Americans fit this designation. The intent of the proposed work is to greatly enhance the capability of an existing, successful primary care practice-based research network (PBRN) to conduct these kinds of research. The work will be done in Practice Partner Research Network (PPRNet), a national PBRN among 156 primary care practices in 40 States who use a common electronic medical record (EMR) and pool nonidentifiable data for quality improvement and research. PPRNet researchers, located at the Medical University of South Carolina, will conduct the work, which will comprise of both infrastructure development and conduct of a primary research project designed to test the capability of the new infrastructure. Infrastructure development planned includes a set of activities intended to expand PPRNet to at least 250 practices and development of sophisticated computer algorithms to enhance the ability of researchers to identify patients with any of 20 chronic medical conditions. The primary research project will be a cross-sectional epidemiologic study, comparing the delivery of recommended preventive services among patients with no chronic illness, one chronic illness, and multiple chronic illnesses. To date there is inadequate information about the relationship between chronic illness and receipt of preventive services. The proposed research will address this issue and findings will likely lead to a variety of investigations designed to improve preventive services delivery to patients with multiple chronic illnesses. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Understanding the intent to which patients with multiple chronic illnesses receive recommended preventive services and designing strategies to improve this aspect of medical care are important priorities for the U.S. health care system. The activities planned in this proposal will further develop capabilities of an existing primary care practice based research network to conduct this research and support its research designed to address these issues.