Preparedness and emergency response research centers: early returns on investment in evidence-based public health systems research.

Shoukat H. Qari, DVM, PhD David M. Abramson, PhD, MPH Jane A. Kushma, PhD Paul K. Halverson, DrPH, FACHE In today’s environment of an increased need to demonstrate the value of the federal investment in public health preparedness and response (PHPR), it is encouraging to see the results of the research conducted by the Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRCs), which were funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1 The research generated by the PERRCs represented in this special supplement of Public Health Reports, “Outcomes from the Federal Investment in Public Health Systems Research to Strengthen Preparedness and Response,” is not only impressive but also vital in adding to the evidence base for our PHPR efforts. The PERRCs have demonstrated the value of public health research that collectively advances our thinking and understanding of how to improve our public health system’s preparedness for and response to disasters. Investigators share a wealth of practical insights to help bolster the continuing development and refinement of the public health system contribution to emergency preparedness and response. The research reported in this supplement reflects a confluence of three disciplinary trends in the field: (1) the application of methods, frameworks, and analytical strategies from the evolving field of public health systems and services research (PHSSR) to the specialized practice domain of PHPR; (2) a move, generally, toward more rigorous study design within the field of public health emergency preparedness and response research; and (3) the influence of themes and analytical strategies from more established fields, such as social science-oriented disaster research, psychometrics, and operations research.