The Family Physicians Inquiries Network (FPIN) has developed an approach for practice based research networks (PBRN) to develop priority questions for their research initiatives. FPIN staff solicit clinical questions from practicing physicians by e-mail, organize those questions for voting by network physicians through a simple web based “voting booth”, then organize clinician/librarian teams to answer the questions based on a systematic review of the world literature.
The FPIN experience is that approximately 20% of questions selected as “important” by a majority of voting network members can be answered with definitive patient oriented research evidence. The remaining 80% of questions are therefore potential research questions for the network to undertake research to answer. A second prioritization survey is then used to rank the importance and personal interest in pursuing research to address those questions.
Members of the FPIN community have submitted several thousand questions. A majority of practicing physicians have voted to have 775 of them answered. As of this writing, over 300 have been answered and published in the FPIN Electronic Library, and in the Journal of Family Practice, the American Family Physician, and the Evidence Based Practice newsletter.
The final step of prioritizing questions lacking definitive evidence has been tested first on paper and then using an online approach with the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network (AAFP NRN). Members of the AAFP NRN indicated that it took only a few minutes to complete the survey and that they would be willing to complete such surveys for this purpose. FPIN will be testing this in the Oregon PBRN and plans to develop a National Clinical Questions Panel with 500 practicing physicians and would like to develop three special emphasis panels: inpatient medicine, obstetrics, and long term care.