Our Mission
To produce and apply research knowledge from and for clinical practice in partnership with clinicians, researchers, patients and organizations, with an ultimate goal of improving the quality of patient care.
Our Approach
Participatory research with organizations:
- Respond to research questions that emerge from clinical practice
- Involve relevant stakeholders in all stages of research
- Build research capacity for primary care by connecting research expertise to clinical experience
As a part of the Department of Family Medicine, the McGill Primary Care Practice-based Research Network (PBRN) (or Réseau de Recherche Axée sur les Pratiques de Première Ligne – RRAPPL) is a network of McGill's 9 primary care sites, intended to promote clinician-led research. Jeannie Haggerty and Laura MacLaren are the co-directors of the PBRN. The PBRN is a proud part of a Quebec-wide network, called Réseau-1 Québec, which provides support for the activities of the PBRNs of its member universities: McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke and l'Université Laval. The PBRN is, in fact, part of a global network of PBRNs, whose collaboration we hope to foster.
The PBRN is funded principally by Réseau-1 Québec, and in collaboration with the Québec SUPPORT Unit, we have been obtaining additional funding to facilitate participation of primary care clinics in externally funded patient-oriented real-world clinical research and trials. Réseau-1 supports and federates all the family medicine PBRNs in Quebec. The strategic plan includes objectives and activities that pertain to this funding and collaborative model.
Our Objectives
- Increase the formal integration and visibility of the PBRN within the Department and clinical units (GMF-Us) to ensure structured support for promoting practice-oriented research.
- Advance the culture of research in clinical sites through real-world clinical and service delivery research led or initiated by health care professionals and by participating in projects on relevant topics by external researchers.
- Promote the PBRN network spirit and bridge the worlds of research and clinic by connecting health professionals at McGill primary care clinics to each other and with researchers and graduate students in the Department and with other strategic partners.
Our Strategy
1. Secure the integration of the PBRN within the Department of Family Medicine and member clinics, as a support structure for promoting patient-oriented and practice-based research.
2. Emphasize the network of the PBRN by connecting common research interests: between member clinics; between member clinics and researchers or graduate students in the Department, and member clinics and other strategic partners like other RRAPPL external researchers.
3. Promote the culture of research in clinical sites through research on real-world clinical and service delivery, led or initiated by health care professionals, and by participating in projects on relevant topics by external researchers and other PBRNs.
4. Enhance readiness for patient-oriented and practice-based research by activating patient-partners in research and supporting clinicians to meet requirements as recognized co-investigators, knowledge users, or collaborators.
5. Diversify funding sources for the PBRN to support growth and long-term sustainability.
Our Members
The PBRN has an Operating Committee with members from each member clinic:
Norman Sabin (Queen Elizabeth), Ariane Courville-Le Bouyonnec (Jardins-Roussillon), Annick Gauthier (St. Mary's), Roland Grad (Herzl), Keith Todd (Herzl), Lucie Lambert (Patient Partner), Claude St-Pierre (Gatineau); Marie-Claude Roy (Gatineau), Julie Massé (Vallée-de-l'Or), Yvan Kosi (Vallée-de-l’Or), Bernadette Thibaudeau (Côte-des-Neiges), Marie-Rose Shoucri (Côte-des-Neiges), Laura MacLaren (Parc-Extension), Alexandra de Pokomandy (Director of Research)