The New York City Research and Improvement Networking Group (NYC RING) is a practice-based research network (PBRN) supported by the Department of Family and Social Medicine and the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Founded in 2003, NYC RING is built on the premise that actively involving primary care providers in all phases of the research process will increase the relevance of the questions, enhance protocol implementation, and significantly improve the translation of results into primary care practice to impact health equity.
Supported by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, NYC RING draws upon many institutional resources and in-house experience to uplift primary care research and researchers. This means that studies originating both inside and outside of the Montefiore Einstein system can become connected with our primary care settings and receive design and implementation support when partnering with NYC RING (Researchers - learn more here). For primary care doctors and practices within our institution, NYC RING can assist in developing your clinical question into a quality improvement (QI) initiative or formal research study (Clinicians and Practices - learn more here). By building relationships, sharing resources, and engaging our community, NYC RING aims to provide researchers and practices with the tools needed to effectively investigate clinical questions that will have a real impact on the health of individuals, families, and communities here in the Bronx.
Our Mission
NYC RING’s mission is to define and strengthen the knowledge base that informs and improves primary care practice by:
- Defining and pursuing a research agenda focused on the specific health, disease, and health services issues of communities historically excluded from research to advance health equity and improve population health outcomes;
- Identifying and addressing research and quality improvement questions important to primary care providers, patients, families, and their communities; and,
- Providing a resource for translational research in primary care and community health
Learn more about our study selection process and how we operationalize this mission by clicking on the link here.
About PBRNs
First established in the 1970s, practice-based research networks (or PBRNs) began as a way for primary care clinicians to work together as a group to answer community-based health care questions relevant to their patients and practices. Often, the questions identified had not been addressed in the academic literature in ways that would directly translate to their patient care. These networks allowed for clinicians themselves to engage in research and quality improvement activities in order to improve health and healthcare delivery, which continues to be a main goal of PBRNs today.
Over time, PBRNs have evolved to answer increasingly complex health services research questions. Some examples of activities now performed by PRBNs include:
- Conducting stakeholder-engaged research
- Supporting participatory implementation research
- Leading quality improvement and practice transformation initiatives
- Supplementing medical education with specialized training in translational research
- Providing institutional structures and systems for intramural research collaboration across departments and disciplines
To learn more about PBRNs and this community of practices and researchers, visit:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality – About PBRNs
https://www.ahrq.gov/ncepcr/research-transform-primary-care/pbrn
North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG)
https://www.napcrg.org/resources/casfm/practice-based-research/#10108
American Academy of Family Practice National Research Network
https://www.aafp.org/family-physician/patient-care/nrn.html
