Practice-based research is central to our mission of advancing integrative health through real-world clinical evidence.

Practice-based research (PBR) is clinical investigation grounded in the outcomes of real-world care. Rather than relying on costly clinical trials, PBR draws from data already collected during integrative health visits—making it a practical, cost-effective way to study what works in everyday settings.


With support from the Krupp Endowed Fund, CIH uses PBR to evaluate the impact of our clinical programs on a range of health conditions. These studies help generate evidence that directly informs patient care, advances best practices, and improves outcomes across our community.


We also collaborate nationally through BraveNet, a 20+ member practice-based research network. Through initiatives like the PRIMIER registry, we contribute to standardized health data collection and cross-institutional insights into integrative medicine.

Request a PBR Project

Step 1:  Download and Review PBR Worksheet. Note that this form is intended to help guide your project by listing the questions our team will ask you during our consultation session, but does not need to be completed in advance of the next step. 
 
Step 2:  Submit a PBR Project Concept Form (link to PBR Concept Form)
 
Step 3:  Schedule a consultation.  Our team will reach out to you within two weeks. If you would like to connect with someone sooner, please email KruppREC@ucsd.edu
 
Step 4:  Resources aligned to support PBR project.

Active Studies

  • UC San Diego Health Inpatient Acupuncture and Massage
  • Supervised Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine (SLIM) program
  • Center for Integrative Medicine (IM) Outpatient 
  • Food is Medicine (FIM) program
  • Exercise is Medicine (EIM) program
  • Health and Wellness Coaching CPT Code Utilization Study
  • Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) Service Study
  • Integrative Medicine (IM) Consult Service Study
  • IM PBR Pre and Post Survey Study

PRIMIER: 5,000 patients
CBD: UC San Diego, UCSF and Northwestern
ACUITY:  NCCIH-funded U01 multicenter feasibility trial (Cleveland Clinics, Vanderbilt, UC San Diego) studying Acupuncture in the Emergency Department

Access PBR Support Materials

Visit the Resources page to explore resources, presentations and worksheets to help clinician-scientists learn about and implement practice-based research in clinic.

RESOURCES