The health status of children is significantly influenced not only by the health care system but also by social and environmental factors. Leaders in child health have developed new and expansive conceptualizations of child health services in response. However, there is a need to increase research capacity to investigate the interface between traditional health care and community systems. Our goal is to train child health services researchers to perform this research in the community. We propose to develop a curriculum for the NRSA Health Services Research Fellows in partnership with community health centers, payors, public health, schools, and other community organizations on performing effectiveness research in community settings. A Community Partnership Board with community participants and faculty will guide creation of the curriculum. The curriculum will be composed of three primary activities: a monthly case-based seminar series applying adult learning methods, an annual Community-Based Child Health Services Research conference on the state-of-the-art in community-based research, and an opportunity for a practicum experience in collaboration with coursework at the Harvard School of Public Health. Evaluation of the curriculum will involve ongoing evaluation of each curriculum component with a comprehensive evaluation of the curriculum in the fourth year. We will also examine the impact the curriculum had in promoting the quantity and quality of community-based health services research by the participants. We will seek to disseminate the curriculum nationally. This curriculum will draw on the tremendous expertise and resources of the ANCPR NRSA Health Services Research Training Program at Children's Hospital, the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Additional community health centers, payers, the Boston Public School and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health have also committed to participate in this curriculum. The Harvard Office of Educational Development will bring substantial educational expertise and experience in curriculum development and evaluation.
