Improving the Health of Patients and Communities: Evolving Practice-based Research (PBR) and Collaborations.

Abstract

This issue illustrates how research from practice-based research networks has evolved to span a spectrum from improving patient-level care and practice quality to improving health within local and global communities. Articles address patient-level improvements (a biomarker for cardiovascular disease progression, late-onset anorexia nervosa, complementary health approaches used by patients, and patient preferences related to antibiotics for acute respiratory infections); practice-level improvements (selection of types of fecal immunochemical tests, practice facilitation, practice registry implementation, community-based outreach, and bidirectional texting); and community-level improvements (primary care-public health partnership, influenza surveillance, and establishing family medicine training abroad).