About the Institute

The Puerto Rico Health Services Research Institute (PRHSRI) was established on October, 2003 to develop and enhance the capacity to conduct health services research in the Department of Health Services Administration (DHSA) and the School of Public Health (SPH) at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. The PRHSRI is funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as a Minority Research Infrastructure Support Program (M-RISP).

Aims:

The Puerto Rico Health Services Research Institute (PRHSRI) was created to develop research-based knowledge founded on the reality of the Puerto Rican and U.S. healthcare systems that will assist decision-makers in evaluating health policy options. The long-term objective is to extend the short term pilot projects into more comprehensive studies comparing the health of Puerto Ricans in the island with Puerto Ricans' health in the U.S.

The specific aims to be completed within a period of three years are:

1. Establish a sustainable administrative structure in the Department of Health Services Administration (DHSA) that will support and foster the development of health services research at the School of Public Health (SPH) at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus.
   
   
2. Implement a faculty development and mentoring program that will enhance the DHSA and the SPH capabilities to undertake health services research.
   
   
3. Formulate and conduct pilot projects in health services research that will lead toward more comprehensive investigations through the submission of proposals for external funding.
   
   
4. Provide methodological and technical support that will facilitate:
   

1. the identification and advancement of potential research ideas
2. the development of successful research proposals for external funding
3. the dissemination of research findings for policy development purposes

This website is supported by the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, Grant No. 1 R24 HS1 4060-02 and by a Research Centers in Minority Institutions Award, G12RR-03051, from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health