About the network

The CPCRN is an established interdisciplinary and intersectoral network of people who collaborate to generate solution-focused innovations in primary health care (PHC) delivery.

The CPCRN’s vision is to create a sustainable pan-Canadian learning health system, supported by patient-oriented, practice-based research that improves primary care. Our mission is to facilitate research to spread and scale innovations by

  • building and growing local practice-based research and learning networks (PBRLNs)
  • developing a primary care information system (PCIS)

PBRLNs are networks of primary care providers, researchers, patient partners, policymakers and other partners that work together to conduct research and share knowledge to improve primary care.

The PCIS will include the following components and data linkages:

  • electronic medical record (EMR) data
  • patient-reported experience measures (PREMs)
  • patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)
  • administrative data
  • human resources and infrastructure associated with PBRLNs, research project teams, and other partners Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network (CPCSSN) and Canadian Primary Care Information Network (CPIN)

    The CPCRN’s objectives are to:

    1. Build a primary health care (PHC) learning health system across Canada
      1. Build toward a primary care information system (PCIS), defined as the technology, people, and processes of the PCIS, within provinces and across Canada
      2. Support practice-based research and learning networks (PBRLNs) across Canada
    2. Facilitate the reach and adaptation of successful patient-oriented primary and integrated care innovations
    3. Generate and mobilize knowledge that informs and transforms practice, clinical care, and decision-making for better and more equitable health outcomes
    4. Increase capacity among researchers, clinicians, decision-makers, patient partners, and Indigenous communities to develop and apply primary health care knowledge in practice
    5. Nurture a highly coordinated, decentralized Network with a quadripartite governance
    6. Create sustainable partnerships with patient-partners, policymakers, clinicians, researchers, students, financial partners, other SPOR funding entities, network staff, Indigenous communities/organizations
    7. Enrich and support opportunities for Indigenous and equity deserving people to become researchers in primary care