Sue Giancola, PhD, Senior Associate Director, Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP) University of Delaware
Mary Culnane, MSN, MS, PhD, Policy Scientist, Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP), University of Delaware
Angela Sy, PhD, Associate Core Director, Center for Pacific Innovations, Knowledge, and Opportunities (PIKO) University of Hawaii at Manoa
Carlamarie Noboa Ramos, MS, PhD, Adjunct Professor University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus
Kimber McKay, PhD Professor and Chair, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana
The Tracking and Evaluation Unit Director and Generating Research Opportunities Working together (GROW) Puerto Rico (PR) Network, Dr. Carlamarie Noboa Ramos, participated in a multipaper panel session “Engaging with Communities and Primary Care Practices: Evaluating CTR Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) models” at the Annual Conference of the American Evaluation Association in Kansas City.
Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRN) present complex challenges due to their research capacity and level of readiness. PBRNs require management of multi- and inter-disciplinary teams working together through collaborative research initiatives. The GROW Puerto Rico Network, the first and unique PBRN in PR, was established in 2022 as part of the Alliance. Dr. Noboa Ramos shared how we integrated mixed evaluation methods to strengthen the GROW PR Network Capacity. Participatory evaluation approach, continuous quality improvement, and organizational development theories have been applied to strengthen the PBRN capacity. The presentation described evaluation practices and strategies used during the design and implementation of GROW PR Network, our experiences, and lessons learned. Integrating evaluation methods throughout each stage of a PBRN’s development, starting at the design phase, is a valuable opportunity to enhance research capacity and collective efforts to address community needs and improve healthcare systems.
