Practical aspects to undertaking research in the primary care setting: experience from two studies

AIMS

To discuss the practical aspects of conducting research in a primary care setting, from the perspectives of the practitioner and the research team.

METHODS

Various issues are discussed, including the relevance of research questions being generated in this setting, the advantages to both parties and the processes involved in conducting a study in specialist practice. This paper describes two recent studies (a randomized clinical trial and a qualitative study) conducted within specialist practice, to illustrate some of the potential difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

The success of conducting a study in primary care is determined by a variety of factors, including an interested specialist practitioner, motivated staff in a well-organized practice and the close support of an academic-based research team.

Primary malignant melanoma arising in the dorsum of the tongue

We present the case of a 53-year-old White man with primary malignant melanoma of the dorsum of the tongue that arose in an area of widespread diffuse pigmentation. He was treated by wide excision and insertion of iridium pins (65Gy over 5 days). Ten months later he developed metastases that were treated by palliative irradiation.