Project Summary
Primary care clinicians are expected to manage a heavy patient caseload including individuals with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal issues, and lung diseases. Medical practices are undergoing substantial reorganization to become patient-centered medical homes, while also needing to ensure their patient’s immediate needs are attended to. Understanding these issues, the US DHHS has identified the need for “research on patient-centered outcomes to inform the development of future clinical practice guidelines, best practices, and quality measures.” Taking into account the needs of clinician and patient populations is a key ingredient that cannot be overstated. As a primary care Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), WREN is in a prime position to bring both practicing clinician and patient voices to the table to develop and answer these research questions. We therefore propose to hold a stakeholder meeting to develop a patient-centered research agenda and approach for our PBRN over the next five years.
The projected output from this project is the development and implementation of a larger research agenda to better respond to the needs of patients managing chronic conditions and the practicing clinicians who care for them.
Project collaborators include clinicians and clinic staff from multiple types of clinics (including small and large practices, in urban, suburban and rural environments, with high, middle, and low income clientele); patients from diverse backgrounds with varying illnesses who are in good control of their conditions; research individuals who display the knowledge, skills, abilities, and interest necessary; and local and statewide non-profit organizations such as the Wisconsin Arthritis Foundation and the Wisconsin Diabetes Advisory Group in the development of questions focused on patient-centered research projects.
Project Resource: WREN’s 2015 Convocation of Practices Program Book
Project Resource: Research Agenda Development Presentation
Project Resource: Project Summary
More information about WREN’s annual "Convocation of Practices" can be found here.