The development of research capacity in Europe through research workshops--the EGPRN perspective

40 years of biannual family medicine research meetings--the European General Practice Research Network (EGPRN)

OBJECTIVE

To document family medicine research in the 25 EGPRN member countries in 2010.

DESIGN

Semi-structured survey with open-ended questions.

SETTING

Academic family medicine in 23 European countries, Israel, and Turkey.

SUBJECTS

25 EGPRN national representatives.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Demographics of the general population and family medicine. Assessments, opinions, and suggestions.

RESULTS

EGPRN has represented family medicine for almost half a billion people and > 300,000 general practitioners (GPs). Turkey had the largest number of family medicine departments and highest density of GPs, 2.1/1000 people, Belgium had 1.7, Austria 1.6, and France 1.5. Lowest GP density was reported from Israel 0.17, Greece 0.18, and Slovenia 0.4 GPs per 1000 people. Family medicine research networks were reported by 22 of 25 and undergraduate family medicine research education in 20 of the 25 member countries, and in 10 countries students were required to do research projects. Postgraduate family medicine research was reported by 18 of the member countries. Open-ended responses showed that EGPRN meetings promoted stimulating and interesting research questions such as comparative studies of chronic pain management, sleep disorders, elderly care, healthy lifestyle promotion, mental health, clinical competence, and appropriateness of specialist referrals. Many respondents reported a lack of interest in family medicine research related to poor incentives and low family medicine status in general and among medical students in particular. It was suggested that EGPRN exert political lobbying for family medicine research.

CONCLUSION

Since 1974, EGPRN organizes biannual conferences that unite and promote primary care practice, clinical research and academic family medicine in 25 member countries.

The development of academic family medicine in central and eastern Europe since 1990

BACKGROUND

Since the early 1990s former communist countries have been reforming their health care systems, emphasizing the key role of primary care and recognizing family medicine as a specialty and an academic discipline. This study assesses the level of academic development of the discipline characterised by education and research in central and eastern European (CEE) countries.

METHODS

A key informants study, using a questionnaire developed on the basis of a systematic literature review and panel discussions, conducted in 11 central and eastern European countries and Russia.

RESULTS

Family medicine in CEE countries is now formally recognized as a medical specialty and successfully introduced into medical training at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Almost all universities have FM/GP departments, but only a few of them are led by general practitioners. The specialist training programmes in all countries except Russia fulfil the recommendations of the European Parliament. Structured support for research in FM/GP is not always available. However specific scientific organisations function in almost all countries except Russia. Scientific conferences are regularly organised in all the countries, but peer-reviewed journals are published in only half of them.

CONCLUSIONS

Family medicine has a relatively strong position in medical education in central and eastern Europe, but research in family practice is less developed. Although the position of the discipline at the universities is not very strong, most of the CEE countries can serve as an example of successful academic development for countries southern Europe, where family medicine is still not fully recognised.

Primary care research in Hungary. Results and experiences in comparison with Europe

A közlemény a magyar alapellátási rendszerben korábban körzeti, ma háziorvosok által végzett tudományos kutatások történetét, eredményeit és a jelenlegi helyzetet tekinti át, előremutató javaslatokkal a jövőre nézve. Beavatja az olvasót ennek a területnek sajátosságaiba, vizsgálómódszereibe, céljaiba. Áttekinti és összehasonlítja az Európában és Magyarországon vizsgált kutatási témákat, eredményeket, infrastrukturális különbségeket és perspektívákat, információt ad a téma iránt érdeklődő olvasónak a további tájékozódás forrásaihoz.