AHRQ’s National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research (NCEPCR): A New Home for Primary Care Research

PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Special Report

AHRQ’s National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research (NCEPCR): A New Home for Primary Care Research

Background and Goal:For more than two decades, support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for primary care research was dispersed across multiple centers, making it difficult to view the work as a unified effort. In 2022, the National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research (NCEPCR) was funded to act as the home for primary care research at AHRQ. This special report aims to increase the awareness of AHRQ’s NCEPCR among primary care clinicians, researchers, and partners. 

Key Insights:NCEPCR aims to strengthen the nation’s primary care system by sponsoring research to generate the evidence, tools, and other resources that can be used by researchers, clinical teams, health care organizations, and other stakeholders in their efforts to improve the quality and safety of care. An early accomplishment was developing a new NCEPCR website which features more than 60 curated tools, resources, and data sets. The website hosts a practice-based research network registry with 130 active networks and interactive training modules that equip practice facilitators to drive practice changes and improve patient outcomes. In addition to hosting webinar series to further disseminate primary care research findings and insights, NCEPCR has issued funding announcements focused on advancing the science of primary care. The center’s framework comprises six activities: coordinating primary care research, curating and synthesizing findings across the Department of Health and Human Services, communicating key results, cultivating a robust research workforce, convening stakeholders, and catalyzing innovative primary care studies.

Why It Matters:By connecting previously scattered programs under one roof and securing dedicated funding, NCEPCR can more effectively coordinate research efforts, curate and disseminate essential tools, and cultivate researchers who will tackle critical challenges such as workforce shortages, rising costs and health access issues. Its six “C” framework establishes a roadmap for translating research into practice-improving policies and interventions that can strengthen primary care delivery nationwide.

AHRQ’s National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research (NCEPCR): A New Home for Primary Care Research

Aimee R. Eden, PhD, MPH, et al

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland