Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are organizations of community practices that collaborate with academic and community partners to gain scientific knowledge that leads to improved health care, particularly primary care delivered in community practices (AHRQ 2013).
PBRNs were developed to assure that research leads to better health outcomes because it is informed by front-line community based clinicians.
Following its establishment, the DD-PBRN has gradually evolved to become a community-based PBRN, whose membership representing the diverse stakeholders relevant to the health and wellbeing of persons with developmental disabilities. As such, the DD-PBRN membership includes self-advocates, family members, clinicians, disability service providers, researchers, and state-level policymakers.
Our members are involved in the entire research process, including:
determining the research agenda
framing and defining the research questions
informing the design of the study
participating in data collection
interpreting study results
disseminating study findings
incorporating new knowledge into clinical practice