Practice Based Research Networks

Practice Based Research Networks (PBRNs) are groups of primary care clinicians and practices working together to answer community-based health care questions and translate research findings into practice. PBRNs create a harmonization of research, education, and clinical domains to ensure we are advancing evidence-based medicine in primary care practice while improving patient care and health outcomes.

The goals of the PBRN are to:

1. create a network of primary care clinics across the state promoting and conducting research that matters in daily practice and that is community-driven, 
2. provide an interface for implementation scientists and experts to support key projects and evaluations, including rapid response trials and recruitment into primary care studies,
3. increase scholarly publications, and collaborations between clinicians, research faculty, and patients and community members, and
4. implement learnings from research back into primary care faster than the typical research cycle.

This work is done with a community-based participatory approach to fostering a culture of curiosity by building relationships, creating trust and buy-in, building research capacity in physicians and staff, encouraging participation in projects as well as providing opportunities to opt-in to participate in research projects.

By embedding research into daily primary care practice, the PBRN opens opportunities for participation in all aspects of research to diverse and often under-served populations.

The following are the roles that clinic employees (e.g. providers as well as staff) can take within the PBRN.

• Awareness: stay informed about the network as well as ongoing projects
• Recruitment Assistance: let people know of opportunities to be involved with research; for projects, studies, data collection, etc.
• Percolator/Idea Generator: brainstorm new project ideas; space to talk about what is being seen in clinic, how providers are doing
• Collaborator: contribute expertise to projects, interrupt data, and/or draft and review manuscripts; could build experience or skills in areas
• Co-investigator: involved in projects’ scientific development
• Research Champion: lead projects, advocate for research, and encourage discussion
• Lead/Principal Investigator: make decisions on study design, manage conflicts on the team, direct manuscript and product development
• Disseminator: share about works in progress and results of completed projects; take work to clinicians

There are other opportunities for patients and community members to engage, including setting research priorities and collaborating at each step in the research process. Please email pbrn@umn.edu if you are interested in partnering with us.