Research and implementation of its results have always been highly important for progress in medicine, public health and healthcare. Also the relatively young research in and of primary care research has become increasingly effective for improving practice, education, and professional development.
Optimal impact of research depends, first and foremost, from its quality in terms of asking good questions; using or, if necessary, designing tailormade methods; carrying out valid studies; appropriate data analysis; and effective synthesis of the cumulating body of knowledge. Accordingly, well programmed research training and multidisciplinary scientific collaboration are essential. Furthermore, close interaction between research, education, and vocational training, and collaboration with Colleges, are important for optimising impact.
Primary care research has greatly profited from strong academic departments and primary care research networks, providing a solid and sustainable infrastructure. This brought progress in developing clinically relevant research questions; methodological (epidemiological) quality; efficiency, productivity, and continuity; and long term active commitment of practitioners with research. Network development has also facilitated guideline development, implementation, and ongoing improvement of clinical practice.
Striving for clinical and societal impact of research is not enough. For research quality management, it must be evaluated whether the research has indeed yielded implementable results. Evaluating eventual impact itself is not the key criterion for research quality, as practical and societal implementation depend strongly from other than scientific considerations. However, studying determinants of successful implementation has increasingly emerged as a research field per se.
The effectiveness and impact of primary care research can be enhanced by international collaboration in research, research training, and further developing the research agenda.
André Knottnerus is Professor of General Practice, University of Maastricht, and President of the Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, The Netherlands. He (1951) obtained his MD degree and specialisation as a general practitioner at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He worked as a general practitioner in Amsterdam, with a part-time appointment at the department of general practice of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam until 1982, when he started epidemiology training at the University of Maastricht.
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