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RACGP update: General practice research

RACGP Research provides nearly $350,000 in funding to general practice research each year. Twenty research projects have been funded in the 2005-06 round with general practitioners from all over Australia conducting research in cardiovascular disease, indigenous health, informatics, complementary medicine and family medical care.

New and emerging researchers are particularly encouraged to apply for funding through the RACGP. Application forms for RACGP grants and scholarships and information from our past grant recipients can be downloaded from the RACGP website www.racgp.org.au/research. Interested applicants for 2007 are advised to contact the Research Program Manager to be placed on the RACGP mailing list, to discuss research ideas or possible mentor links through the RACGP (research@racgp.org.au).

There are many benefits from research participation. You have access to the latest evidence, the opportunity to participate in teams, or be mentored, as well as refining your research writing skills. According to a Lancet article "In Australia. primary care is only 1% productive as internal medicine, 0.5% productive as health care and 1.6% as productive as surgery" 1. To promote high quality patient care, it is essential that there is a knowledge base of clinical and policy decisions based on sound information from both scientific findings and general practice research, which is disseminated and applied to practice.

General practitioners who participate in research may be eligible for Category One and Two QA & CPD points. For more details about how to gain QA & CPD points for conducting general practice, please refer to the RACGP website at www.racgp.org.au.

The RACGP has recently established a Research Foundation to promote general practice research and develop capacity. To learn more about the Research Foundation, visit our website:
Web: www.racgp.org.au/research

Reference:
1 Mant, David et al (2004) The state of primary care research. The Lancet, Vol 364, September 11, p1004.