ORPRN is also advancing the field of community-engaged research by studying methods for effective engagement through several studies. The ENGAGE pilot study assesses best practices for community engagement, and The Network for Community-Engaged Primary Care Research (NCPCR) identifies effective ways to use these approaches for implementing research interventions in communities. Similarly, the PRaCTICe study–part of the CARE for Health™ Initiative–is building a robust local collaborative infrastructure to help co-design future studies with community partners. By working with rural populations that have had limited connection with research in the past, we can ask directly what types of studies they would like to see for their communities. 

Improving access for communities with gaps in care, especially in rural areas, is also a focus in ORPRN’s research. SMARTER CRC, a five-year study with rural clinical partners, recently published exciting results. It showed a more effective way to increase colorectal cancer screening by using mailed fecal tests, then offering patient navigation for follow-up colonoscopies if results were abnormal. One of the study’s lead investigators, ORPRN Director Dr. Melinda Davis, commented “effective treatments can be slow to reach rural populations. This research and other studies by our team help bridge this gap to ensure all patients receive high quality care.” (Read more about this important study here.)