Actualizing the Research Priorities related to Public Health Nursing

To stimulate a robust program of research on population-focused public health nursing practice an invitational conference brought together multidisciplinary experts for a structured, working conference. Using the themes from the October 2010 AHRQ-funded conference, input from attendees at the 2010 APHA PHN special research session and a survey, a set of four themes and a small set of corresponding research topics were identified as high priority.

The four topic priority research themes are: Comparative effectiveness and PHN outcomes, Metrics of/for PHN, PHN intervention models, and Quality of population-focused PHN practice. For each theme, three or four research topics emerged as high priority for funding and implementation. To actualize research on these themes and topics requires funding support. Although many NIH funding priorities are described in terms of specific to health conditions, the PHN research priorities might be addressed through existing funding sources.

During this special research session, each PHN research priority theme and corresponding research topics will be explored in depth, with attention to how the theme is connected to existing NIH priorities. Particular attention will be given to a brief overview of currently NIH funded, ongoing studies that are consistent with the PHN research priority themes. Attention will also be given to other sources of funding for public health systems research that would be applicable to PHN research. This will be followed by group development of strategies to further develop the research topics into projects that would be fundable through existing support mechanisms.