The Continuity Research Network (CORNET) is requesting funding for Category 1, infrastructure support. As a newly developing, this developing national research network has many qualities consistent with the agency's interests. CORNET grew out of the Continuity Clinic Special Interest Group (SIG) of the Ambulatory Pediatric Association (APA), the professional association of academic pediatricians. The SIG has had numerous accomplishments in the fields of professional development and resident education, and we have expanded our interests towards research. Our research goals are threefold. Goal 1 focuses on addressing the health status and care of children belonging to minority and underserved populations. The continuity clinics are mainly situated in academic institutions serving urban and minority populations and we have the opportunity to study very large populations of minority children who are geographically located across the country. Goal 2 is to compare health care issues of the underserved to those who are not, in order to examine health care disparities. A corollary of this goal is to compare practice patterns and behaviors between residents in their continuity practices with those of practitioners in private practice. Our collaboration with the PROS network will allow both types of comparisons to occur. We are unique in our ability to address Goal 3, the study of issues related to resident education in the continuity setting. The Residency Review Committee of the ACGME (Accreditation Council on Graduate Medial Education) has set explicit guidelines for the conduct of the continuity experience in resident education. Since many of the training programs are grappling with the issues of making the residents' experience worthwhile and meeting the RRC expectations, Continuity Directors are very interested in exploring issues around resident education in that setting. Our overall aim is to provide research experience for a wide-range of providers who might not otherwise be able to participate. The CORNET network will allow us to conduct national research across multiple continuity practices allowing for a large sample size and more generalizable findings. CORNET will allow a forum to study health care objectives identified in Healthy People 2010 and to expose residents, tomorrow's practitioners, to the experience of being part of a research network.
