From Isolation to Integration: How Community Hospitals Can Benefit from Participating in National Clinical Research Networks (NCRNs)?

Abstract

National Clinical Research Networks (NCRNs) play a pivotal role in modernizing the health research landscape by fostering collaboration, standardizing methodologies, and broadening access to evidence-based care (Selby, Krumholz, & Kuntz, 2013). These networks function as expansive, interconnected platforms that unify researchers, clinicians, and institutions pursuing improved health outcomes. Through active participation in NCRNs, institutions gain early access to multicenter clinical trials, advanced infrastructure, robust data ecosystems, and consistent opportunities for career development and funding (Califf et al., 2016).

This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the strategic advantages of joining NCRNs, with a particular focus on enhancing institutional capacity, increasing access to real-world data, fostering health equity, and promoting patient-centered research. The manuscript outlines the unique contributions of key U.S.-based networks, including PCORnet, NCORP, CTSA, and REACHnet, emphasizing their critical role in closing translational gaps and democratizing research opportunities (PCORnet, 2024; REACHnet, 2024).

By illuminating the value proposition of NCRN participation, this review offers a compelling case for expanding membership, especially among community hospitals and underserved regions, to ensure a more inclusive, efficient, and impactful clinical research ecosystem in the United States and beyond (Fleurence et al., 2014).