Closing evidence gaps in general practice & family medicine. Selected Abstracts from the 92nd EGPRN Meeting – Virtual Conference, 30 April to 1 May 2021: All abstracts of the conference can be found at the EGPRN website https://www.egprn.org/page/conference-abstracts

Research in general practice covers the whole of medicine, including clinical and contextual issues. Defining the focus of research is, therefore, not easy. Knowledge and preferences of researchers and funding agencies may dominate above the real problems faced by patients and society. In addition, topic selection and prioritisation are often not coordinated, leading to duplication and research waste. A research agenda could help focus on the issues that matter most.In the Netherlands, we developed a national research agenda involving general practitioners (GPs), researchers, patients and other relevant stakeholders in healthcare. We reviewed knowledge gaps from 90 Dutch general practice guidelines and received input from 48 healthcare stakeholders to formulate research questions relevant for general practice. This resulted in a long list of 787 research questions. These were prioritised by practising GPs (n = 232) in an online survey and in an invitational conference, including GPs (n = 48) and representatives of other stakeholders in healthcare (n = 16). The prioritising procedure resulted in 24 top 10 lists of research questions categorised according to ICPC chapters and overarching themes such as person-centred care, eHealth, and organisation of care. An advisory board composed of general practice research departments representatives, the Dutch College of GPs, GP trainees, and patient organisations supported the whole process.The national research agenda provided an enormous boost in general practice research as well as in collaboration between research departments. A national general practice research programme has been launched to address the questions in the agenda. Collaboration instead of competition between research departments and institutes is encouraged within this programme. They are united in a national consortium supported by the Dutch College of GPs to facilitate collaboration between data registration networks and initiate large-scale multicentered trials.The Dutch general practice research agenda could be an example for other countries and international collaboration. Opportunities to collaborate within the EGPRN to set up an international research agenda are challenging. This could include cross-border themes such as infectious diseases, migrant care, and planetary health. A shared agenda could also increase the chances of obtaining European funding. It is time now for international collaboration in general practice research contributing to health that matters to all.

• Eur J Gen Pract. 2021; 27(1): 354–365.
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• Digital technologies: Opportunities and challenges for better, safer and more equitable primary care

2021; 27(1): 354–365. Published online 2021 Dec 13. doi: 10.1080/13814788.2021.2008352

Digital technologies: Opportunities and challenges for better, safer and more equitable primary care

Ana Luisa NevesAna Luisa NevesCenter for Health Technology and Services Research, University of Porto, Porto, PotugalFind articles by Ana Luisa NevesAuthor information Copyright and License information PMC DisclaimerCenter for Health Technology and Services Research, University of Porto, Porto, PotugalCONTACT moc.liamg@seven.asiul.anaPMC Copyright notice