Between 2000 and 2005, AHRQ funded four major competitive grant programs for PBRNs. In addition to funding opportunities, AHRQ is supporting PBRNs through a national resource center, an annual national conference, peer learning groups, an electronic PBRN research repository, and a dedicated community extranet.

In 2000, the United States had approximately 24 primary care PBRNs. AHRQ has since provided direct funding for more than 68 PBRNs through targeted grant and contract programs, and has provided technical and networking assistance for many more. In 2011, AHRQ research identified more than 130 primary care PBRNs operating across the United States with more than 67,000 clinicians in over 16,500 locations serving approximately 52.7 million patients. There is at least one member of a primary care PBRN in every state in the U.S.

For more information about Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs), go to: http://pbrn.ahrq.gov.