The Virginia Ambulatory Care Outcomes Research Network
A practice-based research network
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Artificial intelligence and electronic health records in the practice of family medicine.
Three articles from our team and partners in the July-August 2024 issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (JABFM).
Editor’s Note: Artificial Intelligence in Family Medicine
Commentary: Physician Satisfaction Should Be the Measure of Electronic Health Record Quality for the Nation
Policy Brief: Only One Quarter of Family Physicians Are Very Satisfied with Their Electronic Health Records Platform
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Did tailored practice facilitation improve rates of recommended screening and management of unhealthy alcohol use (UAU) in primary care practices?
In this cluster randomized clinical trial of 76 primary care practices, use of recommended screening instruments for UAU increased by 41.6% 6 months after intervention practices received tailored education, tools, and workflows, and brief clinic-based counseling also improved by 35.6%. Primary care practices that are willing to address workflow and approach to screening and counseling for UAU can dramatically increase their delivery of this recommended preventive service, which will improve health outcomes for patients.
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We attended the Practice-Based Research Network Conference in Reston, VA (June 2024).
We were excited for the opportunity to present some of our work on the Enhanced Care Planning study, the Virginia Opioid Abatement Toolkit, and our partnership with the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP). A huge thank you to all the participating practices, patients, and community members who made these possible for us!
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"I was finally able to see a research project that was so purposefully set up to help the community, one that aligned much better with my own values as a future physician."
Cecilia Hembrough (VCU School of Medicine Class of 2026) participated in our summer research program in 2023. She worked on the Bright Spot Communities project with Dr. Jacqueline Britz, studying communities with lower opioid mortality than expected based on what their risk factors would suggest, and then investigating what those communities are doing right. She looked at harm reduction principles and talked to opioid task forces about what they were doing to help counter the overdose epidemic and take care of people who use drugs without stigma or shame.
Photo credit: Skip Rowland
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We are hosting community engagement studios for an upcoming study on multi-cancer detection tests.
We want to hear from clinicians, patients, and community members as we design protocols for the study. If you would like to participate, please contact us at acorn@vcuhealth.org.
Engaging Virginia primary care practices in meaningful research and practice improvement to address patient health needs.
Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) began in the US in the 1990s officially, although the concept of primary care physicians addressing needs of patients through ongoing evaluation has existed for generations. This article provides a valuable history of PBRNs in the United States.
The number of PBRNs in the US has grown dramatically since inception; there were approximately 28 in 1994 and there are more than 170 today.
The Virginia PBRN
ACORN’s goal is to help primary care clinicians continue to provide excellent care, make care easier, and engage in learning best practices. Our research and initiatives span health IT, the social determinants of health, health disparities, specific chronic and acute conditions, and patient/physician communication to list a few.
We are always interested in engaging new practices in collaboration. If you have an idea about what would help your practice, or if you want to get involved in an ongoing project, please email us at acorn@vcuhealth.org or click the contact button at the bottom of the page.
Contact Us
acorn@vcuhealth.org
(804) 828-9625
In collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University
Department of Family Medicine and Population Health
Areas of practice improvement
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We partnered with the University of Washington (UW) on a federally funded study to develop a change package with resources for screening, treatment, and referral for unhealthy substance use. Right now, we are engaging with a Phase 1 advisory group composed of family medicine physicians, addiction medicine physicians, social workers, and peer support specialists to codesign the change package. Starting in 2025, we will be enrolling primary care practices for Phase 2 - 12 in Virginia and 12 on the West Coast - that will use the change package and receive practice facilitation to better address substance use in their clinics. Please contact us if you would like to be involved or you want to learn more.
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We are proud to be a part of the Virginia Cancer Screening Research Network (CSRN) in partnership with VCU, Inova Health System, and Sentara Health created by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The first trial conducted by the network will test multi-cancer early detection blood tests. We will be enrolling patients in 2025 and we would love to partner with your practice.
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The Virginia primary care workforce is hard to define and we have taken on the challenge. We are working with our partners, HealthLandscape Virginia to visualize where doctors are in the state, what kind of care they are providing, and how we can help shape the future of primary care in Virginia. We welcome your feedback on this platform as we continue to grow the project!
Albert Szent-Györgyi
“Research is seeing what everybody else has seen and thinking what nobody else has thought.”
Voltaire