The Article in Brief

Off the Roadmap? Family Medicine's Grant Funding and Committee Representation at NIH

Sean C. Lucan , and colleagues

Background Although family medicine has a strong framework for clinical practice, it has long struggled to develop its research base. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the leading source of support for medical research in the United States, does not focus on primary care research, and new programs relevant to primary care may not fit well with family medicine. This study aims to determine the numbers of family physicians serving on NIH advisory committees, and assess the level and distribution of NIH grants to departments of family medicine from 2002-2006.

What This Study Found Departments of family medicine and family physicians in particular receive an extremely small amount of NIH grant funding and have correspondingly little representation on standing NIH advisory committees.

Implications

• Family medicine's low involvement with NIH weakens the potential for translating medical knowledge into community practice and advancing knowledge to improve health care and health for the US population.
• To strengthen family medicine's connection to NIH, the authors suggest increased research training, learning from family medicine departments that have successful relationships with NIH, establishing research partnerships, and encouraging practicing family physicians to serve on NIH advisory committee public seats, while family medicine researchers serve on scientific seats.