Family Practice Vol. 21, No. 5 © Oxford University Press 2004, all rights reserved.
Setting priorities and identifying barriers for general practice research in Europe. Results from an EGPRW* meeting
ea Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece, b Departement of General Practice and Netherlands School of Primary Care Research (CaRe), Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands, c Department of General Practice, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany, d Centre for Primary Health Care Studies, University of Warwick, UK, e Department of Family Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and f Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Correspondence to Christos Lionis MD, PhD, P/A EGPRN Secretariat, Netherlands School of Primary Care Research (CaRe), Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands; E-mail: hanny.prick{at}hag.unimaas.nl
Background. In spring 2002, WONCA Europe, the European Society of General Practice/Family Medicine and its Network organizations reached consensus on a ‘new’ European definition of general practice. Subsequently, the European General Practice Research Workshop (EGPRW) started working on a European General Practice Research Agenda. This topic was addressed during the 2002 EGPRW autumn meeting.
Objective. Our aim was to explore the views of European general practice researchers on needs and priorities as well as barriers for general practice research in Europe.
Methods. In seven discussion groups, 43 general practice researchers from 18 European countries had to answer the following questions. (i) What major topics should be included in a research agenda for general practice in your country? (ii) What are the barriers to adequate implementation of general practice research in your country? Group answers were listed and subsequently categorized by two authors.
Results. Research on ‘clinical issues’ (common diseases, chronic diseases, etc.), including diagnostic strategies, was considered to be the core content of general practice research, with primary care-based morbidity registration essential for surveillance of disease, clinical research and teaching in general practice. There was also consensus on the need for research on education and teaching. ‘Insufficient funding opportunities’ was perceived to be the major barrier to the development of general practice research.
Conclusions. These findings could be used as a basis for national checklists of ‘content of’ and ‘conditions for’ general practice research. European general practice research training programmes should be developed further.
Keywords. Barriers, Europe, general practice, priorities, research.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  C. Lionis, E. K Symvoulakis, and C. I Vardavas Implementing family practice research in countries with limited resources: a stepwise model experienced in Crete, Greece Fam. Pract., November 1, 2009; (2009) cmp078v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Sharan, C. Gallo, O. Gureje, E. Lamberte, J. J. Mari, G. Mazzotti, V. Patel, L. Swartz, S. Olifson, I. Levav, et al. Mental health research priorities in low- and middle-income countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean The British Journal of Psychiatry, October 1, 2009; 195(4): 354 - 363. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Dobbs, J. K Soler, H. Sandholzer, H. Yaman, F. Petrazzuoli, L. Peremans, and P. Van Royen The development of research capacity in Europe through research workshops--the EGPRN perspective Fam. Pract., August 1, 2009; 26(4): 331 - 334. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. Birtwhistle, K. Keshavjee, A. Lambert-Lanning, M. Godwin, M. Greiver, D. Manca, and C. Lagace Building a Pan-Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network: Initial Development and Moving Forward J Am Board Fam Med, July 1, 2009; 22(4): 412 - 422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Seifert, I. Svab, T. Madis, J. Kersnik, A. Windak, A. Steflova, and S. Byma Perspectives of family medicine in Central and Eastern Europe Fam. Pract., April 1, 2008; 25(2): 113 - 118. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Salmon, S. Peters, A. Rogers, L. Gask, R. Clifford, W. Iredale, C. Dowrick, and R. Morriss Peering through the barriers in GPs' explanations for declining to participate in research: the role of professional autonomy and the economy of time Fam. Pract., June 1, 2007; 24(3): 269 - 275. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|