Evaluating policy and system changes through the Colorado PBRN

The Colorado Public Health Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) fosters research on public health organization, decision-making and practice within the diverse rural and urban settings of Colorado. The network is organized by the Public Health Alliance of Colorado, a collaborative of ten public health professional associations within the state. Participating practice agencies include local health departments represented by the Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials, along with the state health agency. Research partners include faculty from the University of Colorado School of Public Health and School of Medicine, along with the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center. The network has focused initially on studying the implementation and impact of recently passed state legislation that modernizes state public health laws and redistributes local public health agency responsibilities and powers. This study is designed to compare how different public health jurisdictions within the state are pursuing implementation of the new law, and to compare the effects of the new law on public health resources and activities across the state. Other research interests involve studying the use of local health and environmental data for public health planning and decision-making.