Developing Research Infrastructure: the Puerto Rico Health Services Research Institute Experience

1
Developing Research Infrastructurethe Puerto
Rico Health Services Research Institute Experience

• Roberto E. Torres-Zeno, Ph.D.
• Principal Investigator
• Health Services Administration Department
• University of Puerto Rico Graduate School of
  Public Health
• AHRQ 2009 Annual Conference
• September 14, 2009

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Acknowledgement

• Research project supported by grant 6 R24
  HS014060-06 awarded by the Agency for Healthcare
  Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• Project Period 2003-2009
• AHRQ Minority Research Infrastructure Support
  Program (MRISP)

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Purpose of Presentation

• Identify purpose and specific aims of AHRQ award
• Describe partnerships between the PRHSRI and
  collaborating organizations
• Impact on health services delivery system in PR
• Identify challenges of developing a research
  infrastructure support system

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Grant Specific Aims

• Establish and maintain an administrative
  structure in the Health Services Administration
  Department (HSAD) in the Graduate School of
  Public Health (GSPH)
• Establish a faculty development and mentoring
  program that will enhance the HSAD and GSPH
  capabilities to undertake health services
  research

5
Grant Specific Aims

• Formulate and conduct pilot projects in health
  services research that will lead toward more
  comprehensive investigations through the
  submission of proposals for external funding

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Grant Specific Aims

• Provide methodological and technical support that
  will facilitate
• the identification and advancement of potential
  research ideas
• the development of successful research proposals
  for external funding
• conducting pilot research projects in health
  services research focusing on health disparities
• the dissemination of research findings for policy
  development purposes

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Pilot Research Projects

• Health Services Utilization Pattern of Children
  and Adolescents with Asthma by Health Insurance
  Status in Puerto Rico
• The Effect of Health Care Reform on Infant
  Mortality The Case of Puerto Rico
• Psychometric Properties of the Performance of
  Mental Health Services for Children and
  Adolescents (Organizational Climate)

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Pilot Research Projects

• Health Seeking Behavior and Complementary and
  Alternative Medicine Utilization Patterns in
  Puerto Rico Implications for Health Policy and
  Administration
• Development of a Spanish Version of the Primary
  Care Assessment Tool (PCAT)
• Social Environment and Family Factors Associated
  with Childhood Obesity Among Elementary School
  Students in Puerto Rico

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Partnerships

• Academia and US Federal Government
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Obesity
  Project (PI Dr. Winna Rivera)
• Collaboration in Dietary Research US Department
  of Agriculture Extramural Agreement
• Use of USDA Dietary Intake Software by PRHSRI
  researchers

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Partnerships

• Academia and US Federal Government
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Obesity
  Project (PI Dr. Winna Rivera)
• In exchange of technical review and updates of
  Puerto Rican foods and recipes in the USDA Food
  and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies
• 4-day training provided to PRHSRI researchers on
  use of USDA Dietary Intake Software

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Partnerships

• Academia and US Federal Government
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
  Project (PI Roberto E. Torres-Zeno)
• Access to 2007 NHIS CAM Supplement instrument
  (Spanish version) for cultural adaptation in
  Puerto Rico
• Technical Support by NCHS/CDC
• Potential use to study Puerto Ricans in the US
• Potential use to compare Puerto Ricans in the US
  vs Puerto Ricans living in the island

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Partnerships

• Academia and PR Government
• Puerto Rico Health Department Maternal and Child
  Health Division Infant Mortality Project (PI
  Dr. Heriberto Marín)
• Database provided by Puerto Rico Health
  Department.
• MCH Division Director member of PRHSRI Advisory
  Board.
• Research findings shared with MCH Division.

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Partnerships

• Academia and PR Government
• Puerto Rico Health Department Maternal and Child
  Health Division PRHSRI Infant Mortality Project
  (PI Dr. Heriberto Marín)
• Research findings shared with Commission on
  Evaluation of the Puerto Rico Health Care System
  (2006)
• Marín et al., The Effect of Managed Care on
  Prenatal Care the Case of Puerto Rico, Maternal
  and Child Health Journal, 2009 Mar13(2)187-97.
  Epub 2008 (May 17)

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Partnerships

• Academia and PR Government
• PR Department of Education and Obesity Project
  (PI Dr. Winna Rivera)
• Access to elementary school children and parents
  for study authorized by PR Department of
  Education
• Research findings available to PR Department of
  Health Maternal and Child Health Division
• Potential projects to replicate study in other
  school districts

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Partnerships

• Within University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences
  Campus (UPRMSC)
• Cancer Center Research proposal
• Puerto Rico Comprehensive Center for the Study of
  HIV Disparities (25,000 for PCAT validation on
  HIV populations)
• School of Medicine Endowed Health Services
  Research Center
• GSPH Human Nutrition Program (Obesity Project)

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Partnerships

• Community Organizations and Academia
• Primary Health Care Association of Puerto Rico,
  Inc. and PCAT Project (PI Dr. Ruth Ríos)
• Access to primary care centers
• Access to physicians and administrators
• Access to patients
• Future dissemination of research findings
• Potential improvement of primary health care
  centers delivery system in Puerto Rico

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Concluding Remarks

• Strong partnership development
• Knowledge development on health services issues
• Challenges
• Use findings and acquired knowledge
• Dissemination
• Influence health policy
• Change in the delivery system
• PRHSRI external funding
• http//www.prhsri.rcm.upr.edu