Development of a research agenda for general practice based on knowledge gaps identified in Dutch guidelines and input from 48 stakeholders

Figures & data

Table 1. Methodological steps in developing a national general practice research agenda.

What	Who
1. Compose Advisory board representing scientific GP organizations and university departments	Staff of Scientific Society of GPs
2. Identify relevant stakeholders in GP research	Staff of Scientific Society of GPs and advisory board
3. Identify knowledge gaps and research questions from GP guidelines	Guideline development working groups
4. Ask stakeholders for additional knowledge gaps and research questions	Staff of Scientific Society of GPs
5. Classify knowledge gaps and research questions using ICPC and other relevant dimensions	Advisory board
6. Conduct survey among practicing GPs to prioritize research gaps and research questions	Staff of Scientific Society of GPs
7. Organize national prioritization meeting with GP researchers and other stakeholders	Staff of Scientific Society of GPs
8. Achieve consensus about top 10s and final agenda	Advisory board
9. Endorse final agenda by national scientific society	Board of Scientific Society of GPs
10. Publish and promote agenda among research funds	Scientific Society of GPs and advisory board members

Table 2. Stakeholders identified and approached.

Stakeholder	Number
NHG related boards	3
NHG related expert groups	10
General practice research departments	8
National Organization of General Practitioner Trainees	1
General practice collaborative partners (e.g. Dutch Association of GPs)	4
Primary care research institutes	6
Organizations funding healthcare research	24
Scientific societies in primary care	9
Scientific societies in secondary care	14
Patient and consumer organizations	11
Governmental agencies	3
Other (e.g. health insurance organizations)	3

Table 3. Number of research questions by source.

Source	Number of research questions
NHG guidelines, n = 90	450
Other NHG guidance, n = 5	15
Input from stakeholders, n = 48	302
Input from GPs (respondents of online survey, n = 232)	20
Total	787

Table 4. Number of research questions related to ICPC chapter.

ICPC chapter (number of NHG guidelines)	Number of research questions^a
A. General and unspecified (5)	74
B. Blood, blood forming organs and immune system (1)	4
D. Digestive (9)	60
F. Eye (2)	13
H. Ear (4)	16
K. Cardiovascular (7)	63
L. Musculoskeletal (9)	96
N. Neurological (6)	34
P. Psychological (8)	84
R. Respiratory (5)	58
S. Skin (16)	75
T. Endocrine, metabolic and nutritional (3)	41
U. Urological (4)	17
WXY. Pregnancy, childbearing, family planning, female genital, male genital (11)	70
Z. Social	7
Miscellaneous	107

^a Questions could be classified in more than one chapter.

Table 5. Number of research questions related to research themes.

Research theme	Number of research questions^a
Common conditions	148
Person centred care and patient education	109
Collaboration and organization of care	105
Prevention and screening	92
Mental healthcare^b	84
Infectious diseases	83
Elderly care and multimorbidity	66
Youth care	58
E-health and innovation	40
Oncology	30
Diversity	23
Medically unexplained physical symptoms	13
Not applicable	107

^a Questions could be classified in more than one theme.

^b This theme is the same as ICPC chapter P.