Primary Care Rural and Frontier Clinical Trials Innovation Center: PRaCTICe
What is PRaCTICe?
PRaCTICe is a Network Research Hub engaging rural health care partners in research. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) CARE for HealthTM Initiative, PRaCTICe aims to strengthen partnerships with rural and frontier primary care clinics in the northwest United States to identify community-driven health priorities, implement research studies relevant to primary care, and expand primary care's role in clinical research. PRaCTICe is co-led by Dr. Melinda Davis at the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network (ORPRN) and Dr. Allison Cole at the WWAMI region Practice and Research Network (WPRN).
We collaborate with clinical sites in the northwest United States to address health priorities meaningful to their communities. We are using the model of the continuum of community engagement to work on two main activities:
- Engage with rural and frontier primary care clinics and community representatives to identify priorities and co-design future research
- Partner with rural and frontier primary care clinics to implement research studies
Want to Get Involved with PRaCTICe?
Practice-based evidence is important to create health care innovations that work in rural primary care settings. The PRaCTICe Research Hub currently has rural partner clinics throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Affiliate Clinics and Priority Clinical Site Partners
- 6 US States: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska
- 28 PRaCTICe Priority Clinical Site Partners for Year 1 and 2
- 322 affiliate clinics (154 WPRN Affiliates and 168 ORPRN affiliates)
Researchers: PRaCTICe is a collaboration between researchers at two different practice-based research networks, the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, and the Institute of Translational Health Sciences at the University of Washington. Investigators who are interested in working with our team can reach out directly (practicenrh@ohsu.edu) for more information on opportunities to collaborate with our research team.
Clinics: Our partner clinics have a chance to be involved with new opportunities from NIH and shape future opportunities by co-designing research with our research team. Participation centers around engagement activities, such as learning what is important to you and your community, identifying which community organizations and members are critical in the region, and supporting opportunities to host regional events or get involved in future research trials.
| PRaCTICe Team Engagement and Support | Clinical Partner Activities |
|---|---|
| Match each partner clinic with a Regional Engagement Specialist | Participate in quarterly meetings with a Regional Engagement Specialist |
| Invite partners to share ideas for future PRaCTICe research opportunities | Review and assist in the prioritization of research activities developed by PRaCTICe |
| Provide opportunities to join existing NIH-funded studies | Consider engaging in selected NIH studies (i.e., be matched with a clinical trial) |
| Provide on-the-ground research support and expertise to clinics that participate in PRaCTICe-matched studies | Champion PRaCTICe activities in regional communities |
| Provide opportunities to design new research studies collaboratively | Participate in the “co-design” of new research with the academic research team and provide input on new initiatives |
PRaCTICe Clinical Trials
PRaCTICe implements national clinical trials, matched through CARE for HealthTM. See below for a list of studies we have partnered on so far:
- BeatPain (UH3NR019943, PI: Fritz) is a study pairing telehealth physical therapy with pain education to treat back pain. This study is a great fit for rural practices, where access to physical therapy can be challenging with sometimes large distances to travel to see specialists. It includes up to 12 free remote (phone or video) physical therapy sessions and optional online assessments over the course of one year. PRaCTICe recruited and enrolled 67 people from the Columbia Gorge and Southern Oregon regions to take part in the clinical trial, which is ending in late 2026.
- Co-Care (CTN-0139, UG1DA013035 PIs: McNeely, Liebschutz) is testing a collaborative care intervention to address polysubstance use in primary care and reduce days of opioid, stimulant, and heavy alcohol use. Patients in the intervention arm receive support from a study Nurse Care Manager and addiction specialist who coordinates with their primary care provider. PRaCTICe recruited and enrolled 32 people from Eastern Oregon to take part in the trial, which runs through February 2027.
- APA-SM (4UH3AT012728, Contact PI: Kawi) is evaluating a non-drug auricular acupressure self-management program to reduce pain and improve daily functioning among rural adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The program teaches participants to use ear acupressure techniques to manage pain, with coaching provided remotely or in person. The study aims to improve access to effective, low-cost pain management options for rural communities.
- BUNDLE (U24HD113136, Contact PI: Palatnik) is studying the integration of community doulas into prenatal care to improve healthcare engagement, trust, and maternal health outcomes. The study explores the experiences of pregnant patients and healthcare providers to inform the integration of doula support into obstetric care and evaluates the impact of this model on patient engagement and maternal health outcomes.
Contact Us
PRaCTICe Newsletters
New Studies Launch
PRaCTICe has secured renewed CARE for Health™ funding to support ongoing network infrastructure and community co-design efforts, and to launch two new clinical studies in rural communities that are often underrepresented in research. Following a rigorous study-matching process involving CARE for Health™, PRaCTICe team members, clinical partners, and advisory board members, PRaCTICe launched both studies on September 18, 2026.
Bringing Doula Support to Rural Families: One of the newly funded projects will adapt and test a doula intervention that has previously focused on Black mothers in urban health systems. With CARE for Health™ support, PRaCTICe will explore how to implement the model in rural primary care settings across the Northwest.
Testing a Non-Drug Approach to Chronic Pain: The second project evaluates auricular point acupressure, a self-management technique that uses small seeds placed on specific ear points to provide ongoing pressure and potentially reduce chronic pain symptoms. Through APA-SM, PRaCTICe will enroll participants from rural clinics in Oregon and Wyoming, ensuring rural residents are represented in research evaluating non-pharmacologic approaches to pain management.
Past PRaCTICe Newsletters
PRaCTICe News and Interviews
- OHSU secures $4.6 million to expand clinical trials in underserved rural communities
- Pacific NW CTSA hubs and PBRNS receive collaborative NIH award to enhance rural health
- Podcast 57: Integrating the BeatPain Study With PRaCTICe, a New Network Research Hub
- October 8, 2025: Engaging Rural Communities in Pragmatic Clinical Trials, in This Week’s Rethinking Clinical Trials Grand Rounds
Acknowledgements
PRaCTICe is a partnership between the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network (ORPRN), the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) region Practice and Research Network (WPRN), and their institutions’ Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) programs. Funding is provided by the National Institutes of Health, Award Number: 4OT2OD038368-02, through CARE for Health™.