Overview
The practice of medicine, particularly within primary care, gives physicians and other care providers the opportunity to see and treat a wide array of patient conditions. As far back as the 1800s, general practitioners noted that they did not always feel well prepared to handle all the challenges they encountered. To address this, a small number of them employed the scientific method to study and learn from what they saw in their practices and shared that information.
By the 1980s, a small but growing number of primary care providers banded together to learn and share with one another. Their goal was to improve the health outcomes for their patients and the communities they served. By the mid-1990s, almost 200 Practice Based Research Networks (PBRNs) existed across the United States.
Today, PBRNs primarily study primary care, but others are devoted to the study of specific populations, regions, and even modalities of care. For example, some PBRNs study osteopathic manipulation, women’s health, dietetics, scoliosis, nursing leadership, dental care, pediatrics, developmental disabilities, and more. The Kansas Education and Research Network is a research body within Kansas Health Science University, focused on primary care practice and issues that affect Kansas health care providers and their patients.
Mission
Vision
Leadership
Kim Talbot
Executive Director
Kim Talbot, APRN, CCRC, is an advanced practice nurse with more than 20 years of experience working in clinical trials in Wichita. She is also a founding member and the owner of Professional Research Network of Kansas, an organization that has worked on hundreds of drug trials over the years. In her role as a researcher, Talbot worked to establish strong relationships with primary care providers in order to give their patients opportunities to seek better quality of life through access to new care options.
Duane Brandau
Medical Director
Duane Brandau, DO, Ph.D., has almost 40 years of experience in biomedical research, clinical practice, and medical education. He has held several leadership positions, including vice dean for academic affairs at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and vice dean of predoctoral and community programs at University of Health Sciences in Kansas City, Missouri. Later, he became the associate director of the Vaccine and Molecular Stability Laboratory at the University of Kansas. Most recently, he has served as professor and associate dean at Rocky Vista University.