PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH NETWORKS - THE VIEW FROM THE OFFICE

Practice-based research networks have developed rapidly in the United- States during the past decade in response to the pressing need for res earch into the clinical issues faced daily in family practice and prim ary care. To be responsive to needs of practice, most networks are org anized to maximize the wisdom of the practicing clinician in identifyi ng and framing research questions. This assures that the results will be directly applicable to practice. Reuniting practice and research is an important benefit of practice-based research, and it is essential that the views of practicing clinicians be incorporated into the devel opment of this form of research.