Building Primary Care Research Capacity for COVID-19-Related PCOR/CER in Metro Detroit

Background: Many COVID-19 survivors have persistent long-term complications. Given limited knowledge regarding postacute COVID-19 problems, collaborations between primary care providers (PCPs), patients, and researchers are essential for patient-centered outcomes research/comparative clinical effectiveness research (PCOR/CER). Lack of research training is a key barrier for PCPs and their practices to be fully engaged as research partners. Strategies for engaging primary care practices in PCOR are lacking, particularly among those serving poor minority neighborhoods.

Proposed Solution to the Problem: We are partnering with MetroNet, the Metropolitan Detroit Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), to build primary care research capacity for COVID-19-related PCOR/CER, with a focus on postacute COVID-19 syndrome. We will:

• Establish a MetroNet COVID-19 Advisory and Oversight Council (AOC) of PCPs and their office staff, patients/caregivers, and researchers. 
• Adapt our HealthLink model to strengthen this infrastructure for COVID-19-related PCOR/CER. 
• Create a PCOR/CER capacity building curriculum and establish Primary Care Practice COVID-19 Research Council (P-CAC). 
• Train 12 PCPs, office staff, and patients/caregivers as practice champions using adapted PCOR/CER curriculum.
• Disseminate strategies to PBRNs nationally.

Objectives: 
Three Aims 

1. Build motivation of PCPs, office staff, and patients/caregivers to engage in primary care-based COVID-19-related PCOR/CER. 
2. Develop PCP PCOR/CER skills to contribute to primary care practice-academic partnerships. 
3. Disseminate toolkit with evidence-based engagement strategies to sustain primary care practice-academic partnerships. 

The aims will be completed by six objectives: 

1. Develop a PCOR/CER training curriculum for PCPs. 
2. Implement evidence-based PCP engagement strategies. 
3. Establish P-CAC with 12 members including PCPs, office staff, and patients/caregivers as practice champions. 
4. Train the P-CAC using PCOR/CER curriculum.
5. Prioritize PCOR/CER focused on postacute COVID-19 syndrome. 
6. Develop/disseminate a toolkit to support the replication of the engagement and capacity building effort with other US PBRNs.

Activities: 
Phase 1a: Establish AOC to develop primary care-based PCOR/CER training curriculum. 
1b: Identify evidence-based practice engagement strategies to motivate research participation. 

Phase 2a: Establish P-CAC. 
2b: Train the P-CAC members with PCOR/CER curriculum. 

Phase 3: Produce report detailing research priorities and potential pathways to realizing such research. 

Phase 4: Develop/disseminate toolkit to replicate PBRN engagement and capacity building.

Projected Outcomes and Outputs: 

1. Curriculum for primary care-based PCOR/CER to increase provider and practice capacity as research partners 
2. Team of community stakeholders motivated to advocate, participate in, and lead in primary care-based PCOR/CER 
3. Primary care-based PCOR/CER research agenda 
4. Strategy toolkit for PCPs to effectively partner on PCOR/CER

Patient and Stakeholder Engagement Plan: MetroNet clinicians recently identified COVID-19 priority topic and research training needs. MetroNet practice partners will participate in AOC to create primary care-based PCOR/CER training curriculum. Train P-CAC members in PCOR/CER to identify COVID-19-related priority areas and research questions and participate in project dissemination efforts.

Project Collaborators: The MetroNet PBRN is the community partner for this proposed project, providing the platform to recruit primary care practices, including AOC members and P-CAC members.