The Chicago-area Pediatric Practice Research Group (PPRG) is a 16 year old regional pediatric practice-based research network (PBRN) based at Children's Memorial Medical Center (CMMC). It has participated in 38 studies, received funding from NIH, AHCPR and NIHM; and published 39 papers. It has accomplished this with a minimal infrastructure and inconsistent funding. PPRG will begin a process of improving its stability by accomplishing 4 planning aims: 1) Evaluate current data collection capabilities at PPRG practices. We will: inventory practice management software and report-writing capabilities; develop options for collecting and aggregating data; develop plans to assure high data quality and patient confidentiality; and estimate costs. 2) Expand the involvement of practices serving minority and poverty populations. We will: assess the need to update demographics information on PPRG practices; incorporate into the PPRG a large group of pediatric practices in low income, minority Chicago communities; and develop new mechanisms to enhance data collection and data quality. 3) Develop approaches to effectively introduce new knowledge into practice settings, and to assess their incorporation. We will: inventory and assess past and current member practice approaches to bringing new knowledge to the bedside; identify emerging computer-based options for routinizing, tracking and evaluating this; identify approaches that the PPRG can foster; and estimate related costs. 4) Design a 5-fear plan for assuring predictable funding for the PPRG. We will: work with CMMC fundraising arms to develop a business plan for core funding; inventory potential institutional and regional philanthropic funding sources; explore how these can best be tapped. Topic-specific funding development will focus on Healthy People 2010 priorities in which the PPRG, has a track record: nutrition, obesity, injury, and violence prevention, mental health, and environmental health. The planning work will be guided by a Planning Advisory Board that includes investigators, clinicians, and consultants with expertise relevant to these aims. The work will be led by the founder and former Director of the PPRG. With the achievement of these aims, the PPRG will be prepared to expand critical aspects of its research, particularly related to sample representatives, identification, and tracking; and data gathering.
