The Electronic Primary Care Research Network (ePCRN): a new era in practice-based research.
The electronic Primary Care Research Network (ePCRN) is an electronic infrastructure that facilitates the conduct of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in primary care and promotes the translation of research findings into practice. It provides a highly secure, Internet-based electronic infrastructure that will enable primary care practices anywhere in the United States to link with researchers in academic centers or the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to facilitate recruitment, entry, and follow-up of participants in multidisciplinary RCTs. The ePCRN also establishes a standardized clinic-based registry using distributed database technology to promote the translation of research findings into practice and to facilitate the process of clinical trials recruitment. The overall goals of the ePCRN are to provide the ability to perform large national collaborative studies throughout the United States, improve efficiency and reduce costs for individual trials, provide easier access for data retrieval and analysis, and involve primary care practices in the discovery and the translation of research findings into practice.
Peterson
Kevin A
KA
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota, 925 Delaware Street, Dinnaken Office Building Suite 220, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA. peter223@umn.edu
Fontaine
Patricia
P
Speedie
Stuart
S
D019992:Databases as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D020407:Internet; D008910:Minnesota; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom