A Partnership Between Pediatric Academic Societies

Success has many parents…

• Robert Haggerty

• Evan Charney

• Barbara Starfield

• Woodie Kessel

This award belongs to many, many people…

Generating New Knowledge through Practice-Based Research Networks

• Strength of the Many

• Wisdom of Crowds

• Endurance of Systems

• Hundreds of participating practice sites spread out across the country can provide– Large sample sizes– More generalizable findings due to

the diversity of• Practitioners• Geography• Practice settings• Patients

Strength of the Many

Practice-Based Research Networks

• Strength of the Many

• Wisdom of Crowds

• Endurance of Systems

Wisdom of Crowds*

• Cognitive diversity– Backgrounds– Perspectives– Work styles– Learning styles

* James Surowiecki. The Wisdom of Crowds, Doubleday, 2004

17 photos of PROS practitioners and their staff

18 photos of primary investigators of the various

PROS studies.

Photo of PROS Central Staff

Wisdom of Crowds

• Networks harness cognitive diversity through group process– Input is obtained directly from practitioners

through email lists, fax-back surveys, and group conference calls

– Input is aggregated with additional feedback obtained at semi-annual meetings of PROS practitioner representatives from each state

Photos of PROS Semi-Annual Meeting, Spring ‘05

Photos of PROS Semi-Annual Meeting, Spring ‘05

Photos of PROS Semi-Annual Meeting, Spring ‘05

Practice-Based Research Networks

• Strength of the Many

• Wisdom of Crowds

• Endurance of Systems

Endurance of Systems

• Networks are not merely collections of individuals• Networks are systems• Practice-based research networks are communities that

possess– Mission – Guiding principles– Core values

• Networks possess rules of governance and work relationships that can endure over time

• Networks linked to larger organizations of practitioners are in a position to disseminate and apply the results of studies

• As systems, practice-based research networks can continue to exist even after the original leadership, investigators, and practitioners have come and gone

Future of PBRNs

• Enhance cognitive diversity– Improve racial and ethnic diversity of PROS

membership and leadership– Add perspectives of parents, youth, and children

• Study focus groups• Parent advisory committee

• Collaborate with other PBRNs groups– CORNET– NMAPedsNet– Regional pediatric PBRNs– Family physician PBRNs

What Can You Do?• If you are an academic researcher, please

consider bringing your study ideas to a practice-based research network

• If you are a practitioner, please consider joining a practice-based research network

• If you are possessed of an entrepreneurial spirit, consider establishing a practice-based research network in an area of research need– A network of providers of care to Hispanic/Latino

children– Adolescent medicine practice-based research network – Subspecialty practice-based research networks

New Practice-Based Research Networks?

• PBRNs have always helped in the establishment of other PBRNs

• PROS was aided in its early days by the ASPN family physician network and by the then newly-created Pediatric Practice Research Group of Chicago

• PROS has, in turn, helped in the creation of CORNET and NMAPedsNet

“The only competition is unmet need”

Join with practice-based research networks in addressing this need!