PROS - ABOUT PEDIATRIC RESEARCH IN OFFICE SETTINGS

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About PROS

WHAT IS PROS?

PROS (Pediatric Research in Office Settings) is a practice-based research net work that was established by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 1986. As of March 2005, PROS consists of 1,953 pediatric practitioners from 719 practices in 49 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, teamed with a research staff at AAP headquarters in Elk Grove Village, IL and research consultants from around the country. The network has experienced steady growth since its inception.

Download the PROS Brochure

WHAT IS PROS MISSION?

The mission of PROS is to improve the health of children and enhance primary care practice by conducting national collaborative practice-based research.

HOW IS PROS ORGANIZED?

The PROS Network consists of practices and practitioners organized at the state (chapter) level. The involved chapters each have a chapter coordinator and co-coordinator appointed by the AAP Chapter President. Ninety percent of the practitioners are physicians; the rest are nurse practitioners or physician's assistants. Over 90% of PROS practitioners identify their primary activity as direct patient care.
Organizational Chart

HOW IS PROS GOVERNED?

The PROS Network is governed by a Steering Committee that formulates policy decisions, including the final choice of studies. The committee's decisions are informed by regularly obtained feedback from the chapter coordinators and thier participating practices.

The committee is appointed by AAP Board of Directors and consists of:

Chair
Chapter Coordinators (3)
Chair of Advisory Committee to the Board on Research
Chair of Committee on Pediatric Research
Consultants (3)
Liaison from National Medical Assocation (NMA) Pediatric Section
Liaison from AAP Section on Epidemiology
Liaison from Continuity Research Network (CORENET)
Liaison from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)

HOW DO RESEARCH PROJECTS BECOME PART OF THE PROS NETWORK?

PROS practitioners and researchers work together to generate research questions, design study materials and protocols, obtain research funding, collect study data, analyze collected data, and publish results. This collaboration is accomplished through AAP chapter-based groups of practitioners recruited and maintained by pediatrician chapter coordinators, who in turn meet twice a year with PROS research staff and consultants.

WHAT HAS PROS ACCOMPLISHED?

Since its inception, PROS has studied child health topics as diverse as the prevalence of preschool vision screening (Pediatrics, 1992; 89: 834-838), the onset of secondary sexual characteristics in young girls (Pediatrics, 1997; 99:505-512 and 2001: 108:347-353), the immunization status of children seen in private practice (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1996; 150:1027-1031), the treatment of pediatric patients with psychosocial problems by primary care providers (Pediatrics electronic pages 2000: 106(4): e44), the coordination of referrals to specialists (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2000; 154: 499-506), the management of very young febrile infants (JAMA 2004; 291: 1203-1212), decision-making for postpartum discharge of mothers and their healthy infants (Pediatrics, 2008, accepted for publication), and how practitioners diagnose child abuse in primay care settings (Pediatrics, 2008, accepted for publication). The new knowledge generated in PROS studies has led to changes in the clinical guidelines of the AAP and other organizations.