What is it?

The National Research System (NaReS) was established in 1976 with a multi-province influenza surveillance project that included family physician workgroup members from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. Today it consists of a network of primary care practitioners called "sentinels" who are members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).  NaReS sentinels are family physicians with an interest in answering research questions which arise out of their day-to-day practice.  Common types of research undertaken by  NaReS includes:

	disease / illness surveillance
	surveys - knowledge, attitude, behaviour
	evaluation of educational material (e.g. health promotion, guidelines etc.)

NaReS is committed to continuing medical education and the development of research skills. All sentinels are automatically eligible for Mainpro-M2 credits for their participation in any NaReS officially partnered study or project.

Ideas for NaReS research projects come from government and other agencies, from the CFPC standing committees and the membership themselves. 

Who are NaReS Sentinels?

Since the year 2000 began nearly 3000 out of the 14,000 active members of  CFPC (21.4%) were sentinel participants in twelve (12) separately funded studies or pilot projects supported by NaReS.   These sentinels chose to participate in Family Medicine research studies or projects of clinical or academic relevance to them.  They are recruited from the current CFPC membership paying particular attention to the inclusion/exclusion criteria derived by each research team using appropriate random sampling techniques.

NaReS FluWatch Sentinels

Currently, NaReS FluWatch recruits primary care nurse and physician sentinels in 7 provinces and 3 territories in Canada on behalf of the Immunization and Respiratory Infections Division of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) .  Read more about NaReS FluWatch at: http://www.cfpc.ca/English/cfpc/research/fluwatch/default.asp?s=1

How does NaReS operate?

The National Research System (NaReS) welcomes all partnership proposals from the Primary Care research community at large.   Final decisions on NaReS collaboration are guided by NaReS policy documents developed initially in 1994.  NaReS policies are reviewed as needed by the Section of Researchers executive and the executive of the Board of Directors of the CFPC.   NaReS submits reports in English  and French to the Section of Research executive and the CFPC board annually.   All research involving human subjects must gain ethics approval from the primary investigator's home institution before any research communication to NaReS sentinels can take place.

NaReS networking mandate

• Encourage participation in primary care research & research networks by sharing research news via e-mail, departmental listservs and individual correspondence.
• Provide access to information on potential & completed research whenever possible
• Provide opportunities for conducting appropriately financed research studies in FM settings that answer FM research questions
• Assist in skills development of FM researchers who are part of this network
• Identify local training needs
• Facilitate cooperation & collaboration between primary care practitioners & other health related agencies where ever possible (e.g. social services, local health authorities, acute care)

NaReS reports

Current and Previous NaReS projects

All ideas for research protocols are vetted through the Research Information Coordinator (NaReS). To access the system, simply contact the Research Information Coordinator - Anita Lambert-Lanning BA, MLS by telephone: (905) 629-0900 x417 or by e-mail all@CFPC.ca